Evening journal., 1915-12-08
FINDING THE
CONSUMPTION GERM

When, in 1882, Robert Koch succeed I'd I
in isolating the consumption germ, so as.
TO enable all scientists TO say, "Ihis Is,
it, the most hopeful step thus far mi
the war Oh consumption was taken.'
Consumption itself, Of course. was not
new. Hippocrates, 400 years before
Christ, described the disease as well ass
II could be described nowadays without
a knowledge of the bacillus tuberculosis.
All down the ages its principal charac-
teristics were observed and motel. Pre-
vious to Koch's day it was shown by
experiment that mice. rabbits and other
animals when made to breathe the dried
expectoration of consumptives, took
the disease. Consumption was too hig
and omnipresent fact not to be known
in all its forms. Even the anciem
were able to tell just how it workcd On
the lungs. But until Koch found the
identical bacterial cause, until he was
able to prove TO the whole scientific
world chat the bacilli are not only the
cause of tuberculosis, but the only
cause Of it; and there is no tuberculosis
without bacilli." the secret of consump-
tions persistence through the genera
tions was unknown.
Koch's work of discovery extended
over patient years. He had first to find
a germ that was present in every case
of consumption-and thousands OF con-
sumptive bodies were examined Tor tins
purpose But where one germ Is, there
are many others, and he had to md
which particular one was responsible foI
the disease. This involved numerous
and arduous experiments. With high
power compound microscope he labored
amongst all the germs which tuberculal
tissue and eXpectoration showed. ht
had to isolate and examine all the fami
lies of germs he found therein. lie
marked them by color, and then washed
the color out with acid. lie found one
perm-a tiny rod-lik entity-that toof
red stain, but would not give 1t up t'
the acid wash. 1t was tenacious OF the
color-an aniline dye. There are only
two other germs so tenaciOus-one Is the
germ of leprosy, and the other may moi
be named here But that germ whicl
took and held the red dye was found II
millions in cases of consumption-every
where and always. IL was found to b.
a well-protected germ, wearing a wax.
envelope This enabled it 10 live longe
in exposure than any Of the other germs
II would keep its vitality in the groun'
a long time 1t could not be frozen u
death.
Having answered the first test-tha
of being found in every case of the dis
ease, it was put to the second test
that of being capable of pure culture
Some germs will not grow alone, an
they are not the important ones. Blu
this germ was grown in pure culture
and multiplied with customary rapidity
Then it was put to the third test-th
test of inoculating and causing the dis
ease in a susceptible animal Koch II
oculated guinea pigs, rabbits and cat
He sprayed solution containing n
bacilli into a large box containing raj
bits. guinea pigs and mice. Then b
waited. The animals soon develope
consumption. Their tissues showed I'll
same tubercular affections that huma
lungs do. Then the fourth test wa
given-germ cultures were made troi
the germs taken from these animal
and they we're found TO be the san
germs and their lineal descendants. The
in their turn were found to be capab
OF causing the disease in man or beas
4 This was done time and time again
and finally Koch was ready to announ
the result. The cause of consumption-
the only cause of consumption-had bee
found.
In may be interesting to know.
passing. that some of koch's origin
culture is at the University of Nichiga
the discoverer having presented them
Prof. Novy, the learned bacteriologic
scientist Of that institution. But VIII
Koch did. every bacteriologist in &
world can do now. There are enoul
germs grown in the university labor
tory to inoculate the world. The m
out there are working on them to fl
what will kill them inside the body.
If you go over to the state labor
tory YOU will see them examining spu
for signs of the tuberculosis germ. I
expectoration of supposed consumpti
comes in for Examination. A tiny p'
ton of it is spread on a small piece
glass. The whole is colored and tn
washed in acid to remove color. TIL
il is placed under a high power micl
scope. The lens of this instrument