Evening star., 1912-09-15

shoer picked up veterinary surgery and
entered the French army as a veterina-
ran. There Is in a Paris museum a shoe
with which horse was once shod by
Pasteur. In connection with his veteri-
nary practice he took up the study of
germs. He found that by heating wine to
a point just below boiling, fermentation
could be prevented. The process is now
universally known as pasteurization, after
its great discoverer.
When the family doctor says, boil
your water and sterilize the baby's bot
tle,' he is but following out the pre-
cepts of the originator. the discoverer of
modern bacteriology. His next sreat un-
dertaking was to save the silkwOrm In
dustry. He accordingly began the study
of the silkworm disease. The result of
his investigation was to prove that It
was caused by a parasite and the sug-
gestion of remedy that checked its raw
ages 1t is worthy of notice that the
first work in bacteriology was not along
medical but commercial lines.
He next pointed out that great many
diseases were caused by germs and that
by the study of germs and the proper
methods of combating them great results
would follow. Then he took up the study
of anthrax in cattle and discovered
method by which animals might be pro-
tected from this dreaded disease. which
is almost always fatal. His next Won
derful discovery was the cure for hydro
phobia, with which his name is forever
linked This was the first real step TO
protect mankind from germ diseases
The next great step was discovery
made by Behring, a German. and kita-
sato, a Japanese. working together. They
found that mice and guinea pigs could
be protected from lockjaw and that IN
some cases the disease could be cured by
a serum made from the blood of rabbits
or guinea pigs which had received under
meath the skin injections of virus made
from the tetanus or lockjaW germ. This
was the first real antitoxin prepared. and
was a great advance in the science of
bacteriology 1t is an honor to Japan
and it's rapid advancement that when it
had so recently taken UP western civiliza-
tion one of her citizens should have been
instrumental in this great discovery.
The next great step was made by Beh-
ring, Rous of France and others. 1t was
the preparation of diphtheria antitoxin.
This step is so important that it is worth
while to know the method of preparation
of this godsend to humanity. The d1
scription of the diphtheria antitoXin will
also explain the general preparation of
antitoxins, and the explanation of the
terms used will apply in all cases in the
preparation of serums and antitoxins.
The following is quoted with permission.
from Dr. Anderson.
a small amount of the poison made by
the diphtheria germ, when grown in
beef broth. there is within a few hours at
the point of injection greater or less
local reaction: at the same time the ami
NAL will have fever and there is loss
OF appetite. In several days the local
reaction disappears and the animal is in
its usual health. II we repeat the inocu-
lation. using for the second one larger
amount, the local reaction and the con-
stiff disturbances ha "a
in the first case
The injections are then repeated every
two or three days, gradually increasing
the amount. SO that in the course of two
or three months the horse is able to
Withstand without any apparent incon-
venience 10000 times the amount which,
when injected at the first treatment,
caused local and general disturbances.
Now what has taken place IN the