The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-28

BHRLIN, May 21.-Prof. Koch. the noted
bacteriologist. died to-day at Baden
Baden where he was undergoing the cure.
he had been suffering from heart trouble.
Prof, Robert Koch vas without doub,
the foremost Of contemporary scientists
IN tho meteorological field. He wan the
actual disCoversr Of the germ Of tuber-
tulosis. He led the var on malaria. He
conquered the African sleeping sickness.
That the bacterial theory ever became
more than a hyp Othesis h due chiefly
70 him.
When Re isolated the tuberele bacillus In
lsSa he had 10 invent new appliances for
micrOacopioal work. But when AZ last
with his new apparatus and his new
method Of staining 70 render the micro
organism visible hs had shown that con-
sumption was due n . single specific
germ he had begun the hattie which has
reduced tuberculosis from an Inevitably
fatal scourge 20 q disease which may he
comoated with success. which n no
more necessarily fatal than half dozen
others.
II was the work Of Or. Koch which
made Of bacteriOloGy a settled science
Ill the present day understanding Of
incubation ~ 4 means 10 ward on
disease came from his investigations and
the study they induced other scientists
10 make. Tuberculin was one Of his
most notable achievements IN NOvem-
Der. 1850. IL became known a bit pre-
matuTely that Koch had discovered and
tested by a series Of careful experiments
compound substance which when
administered by injection hypOdermi-
hacillus and presumably curative In
casea Of tuberculosis.
The excitement this report created
throughout the world was hardly TO he
exaggerated. Doctors. scientists, con
sumptives from all countries made pill
gFimagea 20 Berlin. In the midst Of the
excitement and urging Dr. Koch remained
q long time silent He refusal 20 make
any unusual claim for his preparation nov
generally spoken 81 "a skOch's Lymph.'
But in January. 1891. he issued a state
ment. He did not tel the nature Of his
preparation, but he made Il plain that
e was itself prepared from tubercle
bacili. The stuf waa 9 poison: that must
we're - violent a. 20 make in usefulness
doubtful. The scisntihc world IL dis
posed even to-day TO question the value
Of tuberculin.
Following out the same idea. that Of
lnnoculation. or lighting tire with hre
Dr kOch investigated In Africa the
sleeping sickneaR. that insidiOus disease
which Il 10 common there. 40 disastrous
IN its effect and 20 fatal among the natives
II certain regions Until his advent
u vas reanrVied a. incurahle. he traced
the disease TO the tsetas ~ aud further
10 trypanOaOmata microbes on the body
antitoHin. which worked like q charm.
With malaria he had the same aucoeaa.
After eat ablishing thoroughly sanitary
conditions he stamped out tho disease
on bTieni. = low lying ISLAND IN the Adriatic
belonging 10 Austria. The malaria he
found 20 Nv due TO q mosquito After
draining all the swamps, Or rather while
draining them. he treated the sack with
an antitoKin which he cOnoucted. The
undertaking. finanosd by the Austrian
Government. was q complste succeas.
tuberculosis. the big enemy, Dr.. kOCh
never gave over He lived 10 80 y pretty
much in the way Il being vanauishsd.
thanks hrgely TO hrs pioneer work. In
1901 he interested the world andprovoked
sons ~ HE brothers In science by de-
0ANNNNAA AMaN NANNAA WNNAtNN NNAH ANANIaNANNN
vas the same in men and animala. 80
pecially he thought bovine tuberculosis
and human tuberculosis were different
types aud not communicable from
the one species 10 the other
Dr. 0arnault a FTcnCh physician.
promptly inoculated himsek with matter
from 4 COnsumptive COW He wAa willing
10 suffer could he disproVe DR. KOch's !
theory He remained ~ well a. ever
though Some u the same infection I
lpJlied ~ q Rliineapig proved fatal 7
THIS theory u KOch's u still in dispute /
though many acientists regard q ~ hAy- !
ng been negatively proved.
Robert kOch was born in Clausthal. !
Hanover. in ist1. He was the third o. I
thirteen children. % whom the FIRST nine I
we're boys. According 20 the law of
Hanover whHu a mother gives birth 20 !
seven male children in succession the .
ling must stand godiatheT 10 the seventh 4
Therefore Mathilda Koch received from /
he Govsrnmsnt a handsome silver pres
.nt. The father. Herman Koch. was an I
lble mining enRineer and q superintendent 4
" mines IN the Hartz Mountains
While his fold " hrOthera went fishing ,
Robert Koch studied ichens and moses |
mder a microscope hs had coaxed his .
ather IN buy him. a. Il he had finished
sith high arhool German high school.
'~meml,sr having done doul,le work IN
W. classes lie had 10 delay a year. for
he University Of ti1ttingen cannot
he took the course IN medicine.
A prize Of ~ thalers In gold was offered
or the hest essay written by a student
n any class. Koch was in bis second
rear He captured II from the seniors
When he got his degrees he located at
pOaen and began the practice Of medicine.
But in between times he wrote a series
Il articles on the spleen and began 20
study bacteria. His studies. pursued In
he thOrOughgoing transformations Ger
nan fashion, we're Interrupted by
he Franco PruasiAn War. He served
through II and returned 10 be Posen
ioctor. But his writings smbOdvinR
,ome Of his novel ARCHAEOLOGICAL work /
1ad already attracted attention.
In lse7 he was called 20 Berlin. The
German Government never overlooks Il
,bility. He was made q msmbsr OF the
board OF Health. When the cholera
aroke OtIt in India and Egypt the German
sent him 10 study the disease
md methOds Of preventing its sDread.
He wasn't satisfied with EGYPT aud ROt 1
he authorities 20 VI him 20 70 India Tor
! time. while there he announced hisi
heory that chOleFa wa due % bacteria.
English physicians fought his doctrine
,ittorly, but Koch By microscopic az
.ninaiion Of the bodies Of cholera vic-
inns provsd that be was correct.
on his return 10 Berlin he was Peceived
Iks q oonqustOF and the RsichstAg voted
i'm 100. 900 marks (e1s .O00l In recognition
( HE eminent service 70 science. He
Al not merely discovered the source
4 one disease He had PROMULGATED
theory % ell disease. which time and
ndlaaa experiment have since only con
rnied and broaden0d into permanent