Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-11-07
By Il
Frederic
]. HGskin
THE PUBLICHEALTH|
Studying Diseases.

cutting such thin slices that 10000 or
more may be made to each inch. He
then places one of these tiny Ices on a
piece of glass and is ready for his mi
croscopic examination of the bacteria
A number of aniline dyes are used to
stain the germs. Different speeches of
germs show up in different ways with
the use of different dyes, and the bac-
teriologist is perfectly well acquainted
with all this, and uses II in carrying out
his studies. The most minute measure
ments, the most exacting care and the
most persistent effort to prove every
step has served to make the work OF the
bacteriologist as accurate as the deduc-
.tions of the trained mathematician.
It was Louis Pasteur who laid the
foundation of modern bateriology. For
years he was engaged in a study of the
ferments Of wines and beers. Later an
epidemic disease broke out among the
silk worms of a portion Of France. Grad
ually 1t spread and bafiied every effort to
discover its cause or to check it's raw
ages. AS last desperate chance the
French government begged Pasteur to
give up his chosen field of worms and to
bring his talents to the solution Of the
silk worm disease. Pasteur did so, and
although he worked so arduously lat a
stroke of paralysis followed which left
him a cripple for life his efforts were
rewarded with success. It was these
labors of Pasteur which led to the dis
covery fthe germ OF human disease.
Stirred by them, Lord Lister took up the
work and laid the foundations of aseptlc
surgery.
II Pasteur laid the foundation of bac-
teriology. it was Robert Koch who ele-
waited 1t to the estate Of an exact science.
Many people insisted that the germ
which Pasteur had discovered was a re-
suit of disease and not the cause of it.
Koch undertook to prove that Pasteur
was right. He took some animal germs
and placed them In solution of liquid
from a bulls eye. The germs thrived
there and ne took few of these and
placed them in another sterile solution.
This he repeated great number of times
so that the last germs were many gen.
erations removed from the first ones,
The he announced that If the germ
was the cause of the disease,
its introduction into the blood Of
healthy cattle would produce the
same disease. He did this and proved
his case absolutely. Later he brought
out the system of growing bacteria In
solid substances and this was the final
step towards elevating bacteriology to
the plain of an exact science.
Many different agencies are now en-
gagged in the study OF human disease in
the United States. The hygienic labora-
tory in washington is carrying forward
experiments to determine the cause OF
measles and to find a system OF pre-
ventive treatment The Rockefeller In
stitute of Medical Research has just dis
covered a preventive serum for menin-
gifts. The question Of the causation OF
cancer is being Investigated by many
laboratory workers. The mysteries of in
fantile paralysis are being penetrated
and methods of combating 1t discovered.
1t has been asserted by some that the
dust of rooms in which victims of in
fantile paralysis live contain the conta-
oratory there is a money in a cage by
itself. The dust from such rooms Is fed
to this monkey, rubbed in its nose. and
injected under its skin, but with all OF
this the monkey has not contracted the
disease Thousands of patient expert
ments like these are going on under the
most careful laboratory methods, and
facts are being. brought out every day
which are used by other investigators
to climb still higher and higher in their
efforts to surmount the mysteries of all
sorts of contagion.
The fact that millions of lives are be-
ing saved annually through the work of
preventive medicine is due primarily to
the patient methods of investigation pur-
sued by the laboratory experts of the
world When a great soldier invents
a more useful military weapon, he pat
ents it. When a process for making a
more terrible explosive is discovered the
secret of that process is preserved most
carefully But when the medical labora-
tory expert makes some new discovery
he Immediately publishes it to the en-
tire world that all humanity may re-
ceive the benefits accruing therefrom.
Even before he has perfected his work,
and as soon as he has laid down the
very first foundations in connection with
1t, he uses the scientific press of the
world to give the results of his expert
ments, in the hope t. at others might
join him in raising upon those founda-
lions superstructure which shall serve
as a haven for humanity when hith-
erto mysterious disease makes its APP
pearance.