Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1913-02-06

"Nb liz SreHtesl Sei'iSe 'h"' Wv
medical department Of the Uni
versity of Michigan is render
inc not only to the people of
this state, but to the nation as whole,
consists in properly educating its stu
dents. Every skillful physician who
does his full duty i'll caring for his pa
tient renders an even greater service
to the public Medicine has always
been a social service. No doctor takes
care of any infectious disease without
rendering IA service to the public. He
does the best he can for patient, ana
he depends upon the patient for his pc
cuniary reward, but at the same time
large part of his service consists i'll
preventing the spread of the infection
TO others. Even medical discoveries III
matters of pure science ultimately are
used for the public good. The medical
department of the University of Mich
gan. being a state institution, has ell
deayored to serve the people OF the
state. 1t Is the purpose OF TINS com
munication TO point out some OF the
most notable ways in which this serv'
ice has been rendered.
In the sixties of the last century DR..
Green, then professor of surgery in the
University of Michigan, was the first
man TO operate upon human being
for goiter. This operation was con
Quoted In the upper amphitheater OF
the old medical building The opera
ton did not at that time meet with
the approval of the most eminent sur
geons. 1t is reported that DIR. Gross of
Philadelphia. the most renowned sur
geon i'm the United States at that time,
after listening to DR. Green's report of
his operation criticised it by saying,
"You may call that surgery, but | call
It butchery." Butchery or not. the pa
tient recovered. The fact that a dis
eased thyroid gland could be removed
with safety was demonstrated. and
now in every large hospital in the
civilized world golfers are removed,
greatly 10 the benefit Of the patient.
In the early eighties DR.. Henry Sew
all, then professor of physiology in the
University Of Michigan, immunized
pigeons to the venom of the rattle
snake. There could scarcely have been
any subject with apparently less prac-
teal Importance than this at that time
What possible good could come from
immunizing pigeons with the venom Of
the rattlesnake? But great good has
come from It, This was the first dem
onstration that an animal could be i'm
muniZed to venom, and from these
experiments has come the discovery Of
diphtheria antitoXin and other anti
toxins. A few years ago company
of three distinguished French scien-
lists came to Ann Arbor, making in
quiry as to where Sewall had made
these experiments. They had made
this pilgrimage, they said, largely to
see the place where these fundamental
Investigations had been carried out.
Now. by the discovery Of diphtheria
antitoxin, founded upon these early ex-
periments by Sewall, the death rate in
diphtheria has been reduced from so
per cent or more to nearly zero when
the antitoxin is used within twenty
four hours after the appearance Of the
disease. No one could have predicted
at that time that matters Of such great
and vital Importance would grow out
of the discovery made without any spe-
cial reference to its application. The
story is told that some one once asked
Benjamin Franklin what was the use
Of n scientific discovery, and he re-
piled: What is the use Of baby? 1t
is likely to grow into something" This
certainly Is true Of the experiments
made by Henry Sewall in the early
eighties in the old medical building at
Ann Arbor.
About the same time that Sewall was
at work, fooling away his time, as
some said, on snake venom, others In
the medical department were studying
the formation of poisons in cheese,
milk, ice cream and other milk prod
ucts. AS result of these studies 1t
was first shown that bacteria may and
do generate poisons when allowed to
develop in milk. 1t has since been
found that summer diarrhea, cholera
infantum and kindred diseases are due
IQllk IL lOuS DtcD
known that infantile mortality was
higher In the summer months than ut
any other time of the year. In June
the mortality begins to increase, and II
rises with the thermometer, becoming
higher and higher In July and August
and as the mercury falls the mortality
among children falls. The cause for
this seasonal influence upon infantile
mortality had been sought for in vari.
Gus directions. Some doctors believed
that 1t was due to the south wind
others that II came with the north
wind and still others that II was borne
In from the east or the west. Phgg
clans dug for the cause In the earth
and they even looked for II In the SUI
spots, but now II has been demonsira
Cd that the high infantile mortality ir
the hot months ~ tho v"er >. IL. ?,
poisonous milk .,e., S-vw Ia