Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-16

D
eigners
DR.. Emil Won Behring of the University
of Marburg, Germany. will be kept away
by reason of the condition of his health
/ which has interfered greatly in his effort
to fulfil the hope, that he held out at the
. Paris International congress on tubercu-
losis in 1908, of the discovery of method
) of treating tuberculosis that would be as
! efficacious as the anti-toxin treatment for
diphtheria he had first proposed in 1890
Holder of a Nobel prize awarded him In
1901 by reason of his diphtheria cure DR.
Won Behring is one OF the greatest men
in his profession. and the result of his
study of tuberculosis, was so promising
( to lead him to declare In lecture de-
livered at Cassel September %. 1903
, MY aim is to make all homes for the
prevention of consumption, all sanatoria,
etc, unnecessary by means OF a protec-
tive agent similar to that by which Jen-
, nor made smallpox pesthouses unneces-
sary." He is one of the foremost advo-
Gates of the immunizatiOn of cattle. and
believes that the milk fed to infants is the
chief cause of consumption. Immune
milk" he declares, constitutes remedy
for tuberculosis with which no other rem
edy can even remotely compare
Bacili Of Bovine Origin.
Dr. Bulstrode Of London seems in thor
ough harmony with DR.. Won Behring as
to the cause of consumption as he holds
that the sputum Of persons affected with
tuberculosis Is less important factor in
the communication Of the disease than
Introduction into the alimentary tract of
bacilli Of bovine origin. and extracts from
the latest report of the Phipps Institute
of Philadelphia are also cOnfirmatory of
this view: 1.-The most recent investiga-
tfons seem to prove that 1t (the alimentary
canal, is the usual way of entrance OF the
tubercle bacillus. The probabilities are.
in the light of our present knowledge
Of f11h NJ
planted early in life, but that the disease
manifests itself by i'll health and death
only later on, when the exigencies Of life
give the proper conditions.
If DR.. Koch meant to say at the Lon
don congress on. tuberculosis in 1901 that
there Is no relation between bovine tu-
berculosis and human pulmonary con-
sumption, as he was popularity understood
to have said during the famous eontrover-
sy that resulted. the medical world has
rejected the view with practical unanimi-
ty. Now 1t Is almost universally held that
there is an intimate connection. Won
Behring declaring. both human and pull
monary consumption and perlsucht of cat
tie are caused by minute vegetable organ
isms, which 1t Is impossible to dineren-
tiate. either microscopically or culturally,
from the tubercle bicilli of Koch" Won
Behrng, however. believes that Koch did
not maintain that there is a difference In
species. but that the two are not identical.
and that the term Identical does not
even fit all cases Of consumption
The United States has no reason to be
ashamed of its part In the great struggle.
though it's foes of tuberculosis have been
noted more for alertness in testing and
applying knowledge that has been gained
in laboratories abroad than in the field
of discovery. This country claims prima-
cy with respect to organized crusading
against the spread of the disease, a so
ciety having been formed at the Phipps
Institute in Philadelphia In 1892, six
months before a similar society was
formed In Paris.
Every State Is Active.
The activities Of this and similar asso-
Citations have been very fruitful. Nearly
every state now has sanatorium or SAN
atoria, and American cities maintain in
situations, dispensaries and utilize pre-
ventive methods to advantage. Private
sanatoria are numerous. and philanthro-
pists have supplemented generously the
aid that is extended from public treasu-
ries.
One of the most notable American lead
ers IN the war on tuberculosis Is Dr. Ed
ward L. Trudeau of Saranac Lake, N. Y,
who introduced the cottage sanitarium for
the treatment of incipient tuberculosis In
this country in 1884. Broken down in
health himself in 1872 he sought the bene-
and succeeded not only in furnishing an
example of a life preserved by modern
science. but life preserved for great
service to others. No more inspiring word
has been spoken on the subject of tuber-
culosis than a sentence in the address
which DR.. Trudeau delivered on the oc-
casion of his election as first president of
the National Association for the Study
ington in May, 1905, Through knowledge
has come hope and through hope action. -
DR.. Trudeau established. in 1894 the
first research laboratory for the study of
tuberculosis in this country: The inter
national congress meets as the guests OF
the National Association, and the officers
of the latter organization will naturally
have a prominent part in its activities.
They are follows: DR.. Vincent Y. Bow
ditch of Boston. president: Homer Folks
of New York and Charles l.. Miner OF
Asheville N. c.. vice presidents: DR.
Henry Barton Jacobs of Baltimore. secre-
tary; Gen. George NJ. Sternberg of Wash
ington, treasurer, and DIR. Livingston Far
rand of New York, executive secretary.
Experts to Attend.
DR. Lawrence F. Flick. medical director
Of the Henry Phipps Institute of Phila-
delphia, Is the chairman Of the special
committee on the international congress
appointed by the National Association
and DIR. Joseph Walsh of Philadelphia is
it's secretary. DR.. Flick is one Of Ameri-
cas- greatest experts in tuberculosis treat
ment and he has declared: IF we can
bring into activity all the machinery that
we have at our hands for fighting tu-
berculosis we can conquer 1t with COM
parative ease. With all the forces al
work in unison, the so-called plague
would cease entirely in half a. century"
With respect to methods Of combating
, the disease, Dr. Flick says: The disease
in its first stage can generally be ar
! rested by the egg and milk diet and OBJ
, seryation Of the rule that the same all
must not be breathed twice, but quite q
lot can be done in all cases by proper
medication and of course the treatment
: must vary according to the individual.
I'm advising the egg and milk diet 1t Is
not because the combination has any
miraculous power of itself, but simply
: because we have found out that 1t &C
cOmplishes what we seek-to give the
, patient the greatest amount of nutrition
Z with the slightest amount of waste.
, 1T is a great mistake to think that thu
: individual can properly treat himself. HI
cannot do this any more in tuberculosis!
: than he can with any other disease. sim
: pie as are the treatments for consumption
: 1t Is bringing the cases to the attention
= of the proper authorities which we rely
8 upon chiefly to stamp the disease out.
4 A<vI