The Washington times., 1908-10-02
Claims Tests Will Revolu-
tionize Treatment of
tuberculosis
HUNGARIAN EXPERT
HAS MANY CONVERTS
Tells How Experiment Proves HUI
mans Are Infected With
Bovine BaciIli.

DIR. Ladislaus Detre, the Hungarian
specialist, today jumped IN a single
bound into the forefront Of the scien-
lists OF the world VINO are making a |
desperate fight against tuberculosis, /
proving 10 several hundred doctors at
the congress now in session that his
theory Of diagnosis is correct. and de-
clariug that his discovery meant rev
o'utiou IN the treo otmenr OF the dread
disease.
With eleven hOllow-checked victims OF
the white plague" from the Washing
ton tuberculosis Hospital 10 aid him.
he demonstrated at the New National
Museum that he was correct when esaid
he had found method Of diagnosis
which would show whether a patient
was infected with human or bovine
tuberculosis. Incidentally. he delivered
a hard blow TO the theory TO which Dr
Koch has hung-that human beings do
not suffer from bovine infection excIus-
lively. The blow is especially telling at
this time when many scientists are re-
futing Ut. Kcch's theory.
Room Was Crowded.
In section one. where the obvslrian
from Budapest demonstrated his dag
nosis, the room was crowded 10 the
doors by the throng Of doctors who
( wished 10 listen 10 his words and see
the physical proof Of his theory. Sew
eral times during his talk he was inter
rupted by cheers and cries Of approval
l from MS audience. He barred the arms
Of the eleven patients from the hospital
| and showed them the manifestation Of
the reaction following inocU,ation with
hltrate Of human baciIll, hltrate OF
bovine bacilli, and old tubercuIin.
The eleven men, victims OF the disease,
who volunteered to appear before the
! congress II the aid Of science, were clad
in khaki uniforms. II did not neca a
/ second look 10 see that most or them
were in an advanced stage. Or. Dellg
aligned them on the platform, and, tax
| ing them one by one, showed TO the as
| sembled scientists that in ten cases re-
action had showed human infection. and
in ore case bovine infection.
Dr Detre told Of the results
! Of his test to prove his theory
| TO the scepucaI medical men, and. BY
/ the time he concluded his address, q
/ great majority OF his auditors expressed
/ their belief in his tests. Ind agreed that
/ its effect on the present methods Of
treatment might amount 10 a complete
] " q NAAA Wv "a O-A AL4GLA4BA45 anu aAlN
] ton Of a new course.
Tells of Experiments.
/ Dr. Detre told them thar OF the nine
| children which he inoculated with the
/ hltrates Of human and bovine bacIUI al
! the Children's Hospital, reactions IN
| seven cases showed that the patients
were infected with human bacuu, one
with mixed baCilli, and one with bovine
/ bacilh. OF the twelve adults whom ne
I inocUlated at the Washington Tuber-
culosis Hospital, eleven showed a hu-
/ man bacilH reaction and one g bo-
/ vine bacilu reaction. He declared that
this proportion OF bovine infections was
! small in comparison to the number he
| had found in his tests at Budapest and
/ Vienna, but ne accounted for It by say
/ ing that the dairy regulations are
stricter IN this country, and there is less
/ bovine infection here.
Koch Stands Pat.
! a meeting Of distinguished medical
men, called for the purpose Of discuss
| ing Dr. E[och's position on the subject
of bovine and human tuberculosis, was
/ held at the New Willard today. The
| principal feature of the meeting was
whether Dr. Koch would recant his po-
sition, that the susceptibility of human
/ beings to bovine tuberculosis was a neg
/ ligible possibility.
| There were about twenty physicians
I present, and considerable discussion was
/ INDUCED in by the different factions.
J While there was a disposition 10 keep
! secret the result of the meeting, 1t is
/ understood that DR.. Koch did not mate
rally change his position. The session
was quite prolonged, lasting from 10
/ o'clock until 1 this afternoon
| No resolutions were adopted at the
meeting today.
Lecture Tonight.
There will be an interesting lecture in
the main assembly hall Of the Congress
tonight at o'clock by Prof. y. P. Ten
teIoo, of Leyden. Holland, a famous
/ pathological expert Prof. TentelOO will
speak on collateral tuberculosis in
| dammation. and the lecture viii be
given in English and open to the pub
Schism Grows Wide.
The schisn which DR.. Koch. the DIS
tinguished German scientist. has caused
/ among the other scientists attending the
tuberculosis congress, Is likely to prove
the big issue Of the gathering. This
morning a secret and informal discus
sion of the subject was held In the cab
met room at the New Willard Hotel,
at which about twenty of the leading
delegates to the congress were present.
DR.. Koch, to usean American colloquial-
ism, was put on the carpet" and the
distinguished scientist evidently felt be-
fore the three-hOur session was ended
that ne had not fallen among friends.
Every possible effort was made to
I keep the nature and the result Of the
deliberations Cu.et, but IL is understood
that the discussion inclined AT times 10
the acrimonious.
Il Il Is said that but for the ruling by
4 DR.. H NJ Flick, Of New York, the
chairman. resolutions declaring against
the theory of DR.. Koch would have been
loffered. and Tad they been offered. they
undoubtedly would have been adopted
lbv an overwhelming ma jority. t Is
understood further that certain OF the