New-York tribune., 1909-02-08
A NEW TEST FOR TUBERCULOSIS.

So important are the possibilities suggested By
DR.. Rosenbergar=s plan for diagnosing tubercI-
losis, described in a recent dispatch from Phia-
depha to The Tribune, that yerifcation OF the
theory on which It is based Will he eagerly
awaited. Already experts including DR.. William
II. Park. who directs the meteorological work Of
the New York Board of Health. have shown a
disposition to regard it with favor, but it re
mains to be proved how generally the conditions
prevail which make the system useful.
1t is equally true of all diseases that the
sooner their onset is detected the better is the
chance Of overcoming them. So dubious are the
signs of consumption in its early stages. how
ever that prompt Identification is peculiarly diff
ficult. After a time, when the lungs have been
attacked. the bacilli Of tuberculosis can be found
In the sputum- After thar discovery, of course,
no doubt can remain. It Is because ii may fur
nish earlier indications that Dr. Roseuberger's
suggestion deserves attention. Other men have
demonstrated that the germs of this disease are
present in the blood of patient but the Phila-
delphan believes that they appear there earlier
than anywhere else. He therefore regards an
examination of the blood as the surest guide to
the truth when suspicion has been excited.
Is this supposition warranted? Does the rule
hold good in only few cases or in all? Tuber
culosis sometimes attacks the lungs, sometimes
the joints and sometimes the glands Before It
the blood? If not when may failure 10 find
bacilH In the blood be considered sign of free
dom from disease, and when should It be dis
trusted? So farreachiDg may the consequences
of convincing answers to these questions be that
the world win hope for satisfactory verdlcts
without long delay, In the mean time it would
probably not be wise to accept DR.. ROsenberger's
conclusions unreservedly.
An added interest will be felt In the offer of
what its author considers a n improved method
Of diagnosing tuberculosis because men and
women not the only sufferers from it. Cattle
also are among the victims. Quite independently
of the possible relationship between the human
and bovine forms Of the disease, it is extremely
desirable that the dairy farmer should be ena.
bled TO know when his stock is even slightly af.
fected. The test proposed by DR.. Rosenberger
promises to be less Objectionable than the use of
tuberculin. More than one owner Of valuable
livestock believes that a vast deal of harm has
been done with tuberculin, especially when inju-
diciously employed. 1t is hard to conceive OF
any mischief resulting from merely taking q
sample of an animals blood. If, in addition to
being absolutely harmless. the Rosenberger plan
should yield trustworthy evidence sooner than It
can be had in any other way, the discovery would
undoubtedly result in saving q good deal Of prop
erty which might be summarily condemned, and
hasten the time when tuberculosis viii be I'M
known among cattle
A phenomenon which assists the bacteriologist
in his labor IS the curious tendency which bac-
terra show to absorb certain dyes. If stain be
selected to which the environng material is not
susceptible the germs will be more distinctly
observed than otherwise with q microscope Not
the feast valuable part OF Dr. Rosenberger's
work is his invention of new process Of color
ing the bacill Of tuberculosis.