76 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [April, 



surgical procedure hasten the expulsion of the dead tissue. The heal- 

 ing process is thus by no means simple, as was originally represented, 

 and the danger of relapse is by no means excluded. 



Since tuberculous diseases are chronic and Koch's inethod of treating 

 human beings has been practised to any extent only during the -past 

 few months, it is therefore possible already to speak certainly of real 

 cures. But one thing is positive, that in all lighter cases the improve- 

 ment has been so marked that the patient' may be regarded as cured ; 

 considering the shortness of time this is a result such as never yet fol- 

 lowed the application of any other remedy or the employment of any 

 other method of cure. In advanced stages where considerable parts of 

 the organs have been destroyed, particularly of the lungs, this remedy 

 seems also to be futile. 



The first official statistical record made by Professor Guddstadt under 

 the supervision of Minister Von Gossler, of the Prussian University 

 Clinics and Pathological Laboratory, out of i,o6i cases affected with 

 internal tuberculosis^ 13 were completely healed (cured), 171 were 

 decidedly greatly improved, 194 improved, 586 were not improved, and 

 46 cases of forlorn hope died from the effects. 



These tests, so far as they are known to us, justify a definite hope of 

 curing tuberculous diseases with safety and certainty in their early stages. 

 By this fact alone the question of cui^e is decided ; since in the future 

 every suspected case of tuberculosis will be submitted to the Koch 

 remedy, and thus really serious and advanced cases will no longer exist.. 



With the decrease in the number of afflicted, the danger of contagion 

 through excretion and expectoration will be diminished. In regard to 

 that other source of contagion, namely, the tuberculous diseases of cat- 

 tle, it is easily seen that these diseases of domestic animals may be cured 

 and their numbers diminished ; thus in time we will no longer need to 

 fear tuberculous milk. 



Remedies have heretofore been discovered, but principally by acci- 

 dent ; this was the case with quinine for malarial fevers, and with vac- 

 cination against variola ; but now accident plays no role. Koch ven- 

 tured forward step by step upon the path of science. He searched for 

 the cause and found it in the tubercle-bacillus ; he sought for a remedy 

 to reach the bacillus in the body and he has found it. The remedy is 

 not designed, as was at first supposed, to kill the bacillus with one 

 blow ; it merely changes the process of the disease in our favor. It is 

 not infallible, it may not cure in many instances, but it is the most pow- 

 erful weapon with which the medical profession has yet been able to 

 combat this invisible enemy. This fact alone secures Robert Koch an 

 imperishable fame. 



The first step is always the most difficult. Since Koch has become 

 master of the tubercle-bacillus it is now only a matter of time to discover 

 remedies for other infectious diseases, such as typhus, typhoid, diphthe- 

 ria, small-pox, cholera, yellow fever, scarlet fever, etc. Hereby Koch's 

 discovery opens a new epoch. A retrospect upon his life shows a con- 

 tinued glitter of scientific triumph which v\^e owe not only to his far- 

 seeing genius, but also to his endurance and his untiring diligence. 



Dr. Robert Koch was born Dec. 1 1 , 1S43, the son of a higher officer 

 of the mines. His cradle stood in Clousthal, 'mid the Harz Mts. He 

 was graduated at the University of Gottingen. It was not his fortune at 



