The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-05-03


Gagn1sle laboratory as a branch
of d Ury health department. The
DR. CicudeniHg will answer
questions Of general interest
only. and then only through
hts column.
idea was terminated by the work
~ a Young man in Berlin named
Bchrnc. who had given DR., BIggs
some serum for which he made
the then seemingly impossible
claim that 1t would cure case OF
d.rhthcra. After observing the
action Of diphtheria anti-toXin in
Eurcro. Dr. Bicgs cabled to his
chief. Dr. William II. Park, Of
New York. "Diphtheria anti
toxin is a success begin to pro-
daeeit
Il was two years before, on a
Christmas Eve. 1891, that young
DR.. von EchriuE ran up the steps
OF a brick building in Berlin With
a syr.aga.iull of anti-toXin TO give
TO desperately sick baby in the
Bergman Clinic The little pa
ten. lived, as did many others
he treated. during the following
weeks, and he began producing
anU-luNn from sheep IN large
quaU-ucs. so that by the time DR..
B.g.z was making his post-gradu-
ate tour IN Europe DR.. Behrlng
had many results to show him.
Experiments with Guinea Pigs
But the story goes further back
than that because Behring had
been for years trying TO obtain a
cure for diphtheria. He used
guinea pigs as the experimental
animals because guinea pigs are
even move susceptible than hu-
man babies TO the disease. He. tried
first injecting his guinea pigs
with dphtheria bacilli and at
tempted to cure them with various
chemicals. Most of the guinea pigs
died IN spite of the chemicals, so
the experiment was not a success.
But working on the guinea pigs
which lived, Dr. Behring found
HAT he could inject them with
enormous doses Of diphtheria ba-
cilli without producing the dis
ease.
He decided that there was some
thing produced in the blood Of in
lected animals which protected
them from subsequent doses. In
other words, they had acquired
immunity. BY using the sheep and
the horse, animals which are very
immune to diphtheria naturally,
and drawing their blood after pc
Rod Of time. he found that the Sc
rum from this blood would protect
q weak and susceptible guinea pig
from a lethal dose of diphtheria
toxin. This serum was the anti
toxin which he used on that
Christmas Eve and which in 1898
became universally available for
children in the United States.
First Step
It seems strange that this re-
versal Of the maIlgnancy Of ma
tIre was begun only 50 years ago.
II was the first step in our treat
ment Of all the infectious diseases.
From 1880 to 1890 in New York
City diphtheria killed between 800
and 1000 per 100000 Of the popu-
lation a year-mostly children.
That would mean today that in
New York City about 10000 chill
dren would die of diphtheria.
The actual number Of deaths
from diphtheria in New York and
all its boroughs for the past few
years has been less than 80. In
1870 1t was OIL per 100000. Or in
other words, persons died in New
York of diphtheria in 1871, as
against 10000 if the 1890 rate had
prevailed. And those six deaths
were probably more due TO igno-
rance and superstition on the part
Of the parents-letting things go
Until too late-than to lack of
medical skill and alertness.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
H. L. L.:-What causes the
growth Of cyst and what should
be done when one has already
started? | have had one removed
from my neck and believe another
has started on the other side.
Answer: The kind Of cyst you
describe lie, on the neck) is
probably what is generally known
as a wen, which is caused by a
stoppage in the duct of one Of the
grease glands Of the skin. Such
cysts are easily removed by simple
surgery under local anesthesia.
WASHINGTON AP - Renewed
N.--.au rejection OF the Polish gov
O. m.u'-.rgNia headed by General
N'a3..aH -IsOr-aI was sounded
He.a a4t the door was left wide
open Nv. rEe Poles 20 form new
Soviet Imported regime which need