University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1912-10-30
LEARNING TO FIGHT DISEASE
A Visit to the Medical Laboratories of the Uni
versity-How Modern Methods Differ
From the Old.

! embedded in paraffine or other soft
substance. In preparation for an ex-
animation of this embedded tissue
very delicate machine is used to slice
the tissue and the covering which sur
rounds it into Infinitely small pieces,
meter in thickness. These slices are
then placed under a powerful micro
scope and the examination made.
This room contains very complete
collection of these tiny tissues and
they are indeXed, just as the books in
| the library are, by means of card
catalogue system which gives COM
plete Information as to these embedd-
ed tissues and the original matter from
which they were taken. In the ad-
joining room is given an elementary
course in anatomy. The course does
not include dissection work but is de-
signed for academic students and
others who desire a general knowl-
edge of anatomy and consists of lab
oratOry work and study of the anat-
omy of the lower animals.
In the embryology laboratory room
are rows of glass jars containing more
than 300 specimens of human en-
bryos. The specimens are sent to
the school from time to time by ply.
sicians over the state There is also
large collection of appendices. The
largest of these is about seven inches
in length.
The second floor also contains a
museum and library. The medi-
cal library contains about 5000 vol
umes and a large number of PAM
phlets An arrangement has been
made whereby the journals and books
are accessible to nonresident physl-
clans, the borrower paying the trans
portation charges. In this way the
school keeps in close touch with the
physicians of the state.
On the first floor are the expert
mental and reserach laboratories and
adjoining is another room in which
are rows of glass jars containing
specimens of various diseased organs
showing the effect of almost every
type of disease known. Perhaps the
most interesting specimen in the COL
lection is one showing the effect of
leprosy in its first stages.
In the basement are the bacteriolog. |
ical laboratories where are kept mil |
lions of bacteria cultures representing
almost every disease known to man. |
Here experiments are performed with
the deadliest bacteria, shut out from |
the world by only thin glass and a |
plug of cotton. The original cultures |
were bought by the University in
carefully sealed tubes and from these |
any number of new colonies can be
grown.
A bouillon called agar is made |
thick enough to become a jelly upon
cooking. A little is put into each |
tube in which colony is to be |
grown. The transference of these /
microscopic monsters must be done
with great care. for in this room alone
are enough of these germs to eXter-
inmate the entire population of Col
umbia. A delicate platinum needle
with long glass handle is touched
into the mass of bacilli; dipped into
the agar in the fresh tube, then with
drawn and burned to a white heat in
flame to steriliZe it. The tube is
plugged with cotton and placed in an
incubator to grow. The heat in this
incubator is maintained at 81 degrees,
the normal temperature of the body.
and within few hours there will be
flourishing colony of these minute
monsters.
For microscopic study the same
platinum needle is used but this time
small part of the swarming agar
is placed on glass plate, which is
sealed over with another, making a
microscopic slide. The characteristics
of the culture are very different. They
stain the agar various colors. Il
In an adjoining room Investigations
are made for the germs of tubercu-
losis. The process for detecting
germs of this disease is by an exam
ination of the sputum of the individ-
ual. Here samples of sputum of per-
sons supposed to have this disease
are send from all parts of the state
and tests are made to detect the tu-