New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-28

menter. Medical men to-day freely attrib-
ute the striking decrease In the death rate
from tuberculosis to koch's discovery in
1882 that the disease is infectious. To this
achievement he added important studies OF
malaria, cholera, bubonic plague, rinder-
pest, cattle plague, splenic fever and wound
poison.
DR.. Koch was born in Klausthal. Han
over, in 1913, and received medical educa-
ton at Gottingen. After his graduation. in
1866, he became assistant surgeon in the
Hamburg General Hospital. Later he took
up private practice at Lapgenhagen. Han
over Rakwitz Posen and Wollstein, Posen.
By 1872 he had already a standing in his
profession which won him an appointment
TO the Imperial Board of Health Ten
years later he succeeded in isolating the
tubercle bacillus, and his standing as an
expert was secure.
Honors followed fast. He was made
privy councillor In 1888 and became dfrec-
tor of the cholera commission to India and
Egypt, In 1884 he discovered the cholera
spirillum, regarded as the positive test Of
Asiattc cholera, and for this signal service
he received by legislative act a gift Of
$4,000 The following year he became
professor in the University of Berlin. direc-
tor of the newly established Hygienic In
stitute of Berlin, and also director of the
Prussian Board Of Health
The Remedy for Consumption.
But so far the winner of scientific hon
ors had escaped the popular view 1t WAS
in November $780, that word was sudden
ly flashed around the world that a German
scientist has discovered an infaIlibIe remedy
for tuberculosis. 'Koch's consumption cure
became a talismanic phrase of hope to
millions Consumptives rushed to Beriia
from every corner of the earth. Men in the
last stages of the disease died in railway
carriages on their way to the great physi-
clan. No one regretted this tragic mani
festation more than DR.. Koch. He had
known that his experiments were tncon-
plete and that he was not yet ready TO put
his tuberculin to practical use. He sought
to keep 1t from the public, but sensational
lists garbled his modest report and the
mischief was wrought. The pilgrims were
Nevertheless. the student continued his
work undaunted. The Robert Koch Insti-
tute for the investigation of tuberculosis
was founded in Berlin. Andrew Carnegie
contributed s125.OO0 to it's work From it has
proceeded the most valuable backing of the
WVIlu-"lOt NdI Oll the WLiIe To-
day the Koch tuberculin, though not yet
fully successful. is regarded hopefully as
a forerunner OF q cure.
DR.. Koch's latest work has been the in
vestigation in South Africa of sleeping sick
ness, in recognition of which Emperor Will
lam conferred on him the title of excel
lency. From August, 1906, to October. 1907,
the doctor and his assistants carried on
these Investigations on the Sesse Islands
in the Victoria Nyanza. The work was not
withou its dangers. as the disease mani
tested itself there in its most virulent form
Natives were dying on all sides He dis
covered the origin of the disease in the
tsetse fly. To destroy this fly and thus end
the scourge he recommended the annihiIa-
ton of the crocodile, on whose blood the
fly feeds.