1890.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 4o9 



crease of the more complex micro-organisms, which may be a degen- 

 erate form of the bacillus. 



There would appear to be in this homogeneous mass something 

 other than the bodies of the micro-organisms. This may be the 

 residue of the pabulum remaining after the bacilli have selected 

 what was necessary for their existence, or a digestive secretion, or 

 again it may be an excretion of the live organism. Let this be 

 as it may, I hope to find a changed functional action in the organ- 

 ism in its secretion or excretion, that would combat tuberculosis in 

 animal life, either by stimulating the cells or by causing a chemical 

 reaction in the tissues that were susceptible to the digestive secretion 

 of the tubercle bacillus. 



An attempt to explain its probable action appears in an article I 

 wrote for the " Medical News" of October 19th, 1889, and also in the 

 " Medical and Surgical Reporter," and the " Times and Register" of 

 this year. The views expressed are, however, purely hypothetical. 



When the mass that I have already spoken of as being found 

 on the pabulum was subjected for a considerable length of time 

 to various degrees of heat and injected into the guinea pig, the ani- 

 mal seemed to sicken, yet only for a short time. The animals so 

 treated appear to resist injections of virulent bacilli. Whether this 

 would produce immunity for any length of time, provided we dis- 

 continue the administration of the remedy, I am not sure. Some 

 animals injected with virulent matter after the treatment with the 

 changed mass had been discontinued, appear to be immune ; and 

 experiments on animals suffering with tuberculosis have resulted 

 most satisfactorily. 



From the fact that I believe an inorganic matter would be less 

 dangerous in the treatment of tul)erculosis than organic matter, work 

 on the following lines is being carried out. 



First of all, we have tried the subcutaneous injection of Trypsin 

 into tuberculous animals. The rationale of this will be patent to 

 all. 



Then again we have introduced the respective bile constituents 

 into the blood of tuberculous animals. This was suggested by the 

 condition of liver and bile found in them. 



Another method we have employed has been to introduce germi- 

 cides directly into the spleen, thereby bringing the drug in contact 

 with the blood corpuscles when in, probably, a susceptible state. 



We have also introduced germicides into the intestinal tract, ac- 

 companied with predigested food stuff. In this method, we have 

 the germicide in contact with the intestinal glands, when the latter 

 are in an inactive state of absorbing. 



The animals have been kept under strictly hygienic surroundings. 

 The results have varied much. While one has been unsatisfactory, 

 another has been promising. 



At this stage, a cablegram from Berlin has informed us that Prof. 

 Koch of that city, has succeeded in producing a lymph that does 



