The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-20
ANTI-TUBERCULOSIS SERUMS
Recent Efforts In Europe to Find
Successful One

Tho American Consul at Milan, Mr
Dunning, sends to Washington an account
of recent endeavors in Italy to flnd sue
cessful method Of resisting tuberculosis
by inoculauon- They show littlo original
ity and were evidently inspired by DR.
Behring's activity during tho last thryo
or four years. Nevertheless, the account
of these experiments deserves scrutiny
because OF the Importance OF the >orE
Itself. Tho medical profession has not
ceased to hope that researches OF this
kind may, In the future, prove more fruit-
full than they have proved In the past
Besides, human beings are not the only
sufferers from tuberculosis. IL attacks
cattle as we'll. [ protection for tho lat
ter should ever be secured. stock ra1seTs
und dalrymon would have occasion for
profound thankfulneSs.
An Italian expert named Carcano hos
evolved a serum for the treatment OF hu-
nan subjects The manner In which II Is
prepared Is not disclosed. but there Is ono
favor His own confidence In its virtues
counts for little but he has asked other
practitioners In Milan (whero he liyes)
therefore. independent testimony TO Its
value will be available sooner or later.
Not long ago DR.. Marmorek, young
Austrian. who was connected for time
with the Pastcur Institute In Paris, de-
vised serum for the same purpose. and
he supplied samples for trial both at home
for an impartial and final estimate OF It's
efficacy Yet the disposition which he
shows and which Dr., Carcano also
evlnces, is extremely creditable. and In
contrast with Dr. Behring's unwilling
ness 10 let any one else test the product
concerning which he expressed great
hopes last year, Still, the utmost caution
should be exercised by tho general public
In forming opinions as to the efficacy of
Dr.. Carcano's remedy. II Will not do TO
forget the reaction In sentiment which fol-
lowed DR. koch's lamentable failure ten
or twelve years ago Again one OF DIT
Carcano's fellow countryrncri. DR. Marig-
liano. of Naples. announced in 1904 that
he had hit upon tho secret that these and
other investigators have been so long and
eagerly seeking, but nothing has since
been heard OF him or his labors,
According to Consul Dmning, Italians
have also been trying to learn something
about the prevention OF bovine tubercu-
losiS, They employed the serum which
vice, which is not Identical with the serum
for the treatment Of human subjects. and
is more easily procurable The test was
not especially significant, however. for II
was limited TO three cows 1t was sue
ceSsful apparently. but In one respect tho
men who conducted II department from
DR.. Behring's own practice He believes
that better results nrc secured when his
serum Is employed with young calves, and
he sees objections to applying the method
to mature animals. A good deal moro ex
perimcntng seems 10 be needed before
veterinarians will accept the means for
safeguarding cattle which DR. Behring Of
fers them but II he does not perfect II
some one else probably Will. AS long ago
as 1892 DR.. Trudeau at Saranao Lake do
monstrated that rabbits and guinea pigs
could be made immune against tubercu-
losis The discovery Of the necessary
methods OF applying tho principle much
more widely. seems to be only a question
OF time.-New York Tribune.