28o 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. X. No. 253 



Says L. Brunton, " Facts seem to point to ferments or enzymes 

 as the agents by which the tissues are built up and pulled down in 

 their constant change, which continues during life ; and the action 

 of drugs on these enzymes is becoming one of the most important 

 questions of pharmacology " (see American Public Health Associ- 

 ation, vol. vi. p. 103). 



From time to time in the last five years the journals have con- 

 tained records as to this possibility of individual prophylaxis. But 

 all this was only the clinical experiences of physicians. Too often 

 these are not accorded the same consideration as what are called 

 crucial or laboratory experiments. 



It has recently been necessary for Sir James Paget, as president 

 of the Pathological Society of London, to contend that clinical ob- 

 servation is scientific, and that the sick-room is a laboratory with 

 its crucial experiments, as real as those in which culture-experi- 

 ments are instituted. 



But now experimental tests have come directly to our aid in de- 

 termining the effects of prophylactic remedies. Before this we 

 knew that arsenic, potassium chloride, quinine, and excess of iron, 

 etc., could be made constant for days and weeks in the blood by 

 medication. 



In 1884, under the direction of the Local Government Board of 

 England, Dr. J. T. Cash instituted a series of experiments as to 

 chemical disinfectants, and made report thereon. The object of 

 the earlier investigations, recorded in a late report, was to inquire 

 whether certain substances belonging to the aromatic series, when 

 introduced into the body of a living animal, were capable of pre- 

 venting the development of a particular virus within that animal. 

 Later research was extended to a metallic salt (corrosive subli- 

 mate), which acts otherwise than aromatics with regard to albumi- 

 nous bodies. 



It was with this that the most decided result was secured. The 

 result sought was to find " its power of resisting, in the condition 

 in which they occur within the animal body, the multiplication of 

 the active principle of the virus against which they are directed to 

 such an extent that the virus is destroyed, or only reproduces itself 

 so fully as to cause a modified or abortive attack of the disease in 

 the animal body experimented on." The disease chosen for the 

 experiments was anthrax, the severest test of all. The result of 

 the first series of experiments was such as to show that the previous 

 administration of corrosive sublimate may considerably modify the 

 course of the anthrax disease in rabbits. The paper concludes by 

 saying, " that, although these few experiments are not conclusive, 

 they cannot fail to encourage the hope that we may yet succeed in 

 creating with precision, within the animal economy, by the action 

 of this and perhaps other drugs, a temporary condition of resist- 

 ance (in this case seven weeks), which may so limit the activity of 

 the anthrax virus that it will merely produce a passing, and at the 

 same time protecting, disorder, instead of a fatal disease." 



The next year (1885) Dr. Cash made to the Local Government 

 Board a further report on mercury as a means of prophylaxis to 

 anthrax. In this he says, " I have followed up the investigation of 

 the prophylactic action of the perchloride still further, and the 

 favorable opinion I was before led to entertain of its efficacy has 

 been abundantly confirmed." 



Dr. Klein has also satisfied himself of the restraining powers of 

 the perchloride of mercury. Tomassi-Crudelli and others claim 

 that arsenic has the same control as a preventive of malaria. 

 These results may be taken as a confirmation of the clinical evi- 

 dence given, and of the view we long since expressed as to the 

 coming importance of various allied modes of prophylaxis in the 

 prevention of various communicable diseases. 



Heretofore we have mentioned some other prophylactics which 

 we believe to have been effectual in preventing or mitigating some 

 of the parasitic diseases. With this new evidence, I believe the 

 time has come for a thorough testing, both by the practitioner and 

 the biological investigator, of this new method of preventing and 

 controlling disease. There are now many who believe that the real 

 action of some of our most successful remedies is just this: the 

 mitigation or prevention of a microphytic disease does not neces- 

 sarily mean the destruction of the organism, but its inhibition in 

 loco, or the modification of its chemical action on the tissues or of 

 its products so as to render it harmless. It is a part of that anti- 



septic medication which Professors Yeo and Brunton, and many 

 others, recognize as steadily gaining ground for approval. 



If, in an individual case of exposure, or an outbreak in a family 

 or a neighborhood, this kind of prophylactic treatment is available, 

 it is easy to forecast the wonderful beneficence of the result. 



If, for instance, in an outbreak of diphtheria in a family or in a 

 neighborhood, we can put all persons exposed to it for a few days 

 upon a prophylactic treatment, or if in the first outbreak of cholera 

 in a locality all exposed persons can be rapidly brought under the 

 inhibitive effect of a prophylactic administered promptly and con- 

 tinuously, we will have in our possession a mode for the limitation 

 or prevention of epidemics far more likely to have practical appli- 

 cation than any system which involves the cutting of the skin, or 

 the introduction in any form of the actual virus of the disease. At 

 any rate, with two such modes of defence at hand, we might hope- 

 fully expect to substitute the' word 'sporadic' for 'epidemic,' and 

 to bring many a vagrant pestilence within the range of our control. 



The present age of advancing medical art will be rendered still 

 more notable if it can be found that simple and active medication, 

 on the outbreak of any communicable disease, will protect all those 

 exposed thereto from contagion, or so modify its effect as to make 

 the attack benign. 



THE ALASKAN SOCIETY OF SITKA. 



It seems that the opening-up of Alaska to tourists is to result in 

 some real benefits to science. An exceptionally intelligent and in- 

 fluential body of visitors appears to have visited the Territory 

 during the past summer ; and in the last issues of the Alaskan and 

 the North Star, both of which are published at Sitka, are to be 

 found the practical results of the presence of the body of visitors 

 referred to. The North Star states that the training-school at 

 Sitka particularly interested the tourists, and their interest seems to 

 have taken a practical form. In this paper's account of the visit 

 we read that at the instigation of President Butler, of the College 

 for the Training of Teachers in New York City, and under his 

 leadership, a large subscription was made for the purpose of equip- 

 ping the kindergarten and the wood-working departments of the 

 training-school. The list of subscribers is printed in full in the 

 Alaska papers, and it contains the names of many prominent per- 

 sons in the educational, political, and business worlds. 



The same visitors were very much impressed with the necessity 

 of taking steps to preserve information concerning the folk-lore and 

 arts of the native Alaskan population. After leaving Sitka, Presi- 

 dents Gilman and Butler were appointed a committee to draw up a 

 constitution for a society which should have for its object the col- 

 lection and preservation of such information. This constitution 

 was drawn up, and signed by most of the visitors, and was then 

 submitted to the residents of Sitka, who a few weeks ago called a 

 public meeting, and proceeded to organize a society, which is to be 

 known as the Alaskan Society of Sitka. The constitution as adopted 

 states that the purpose of the society is to collect and preserve in- 

 formation in regard to the arts, history, language, religion, and folk- 

 lore of the native population of Alaska, and also in regard to the 

 structure, climate, mineral resources, fisheries, flora, and fauna of 

 the country, and in brief to observe, collect, record, and publish 

 facts in regard to the entire Territory, continental and insular. 



The members of the society are the following founders, and such, 

 others as may be elected to membership from time to time. The 

 founders are Pres. D.'C. Gilman of Baltimore, Pres. Nicholas Mur- 

 ray Butler of New York, Senator C. B. Farwell of Chicago, Edwin 

 H. Abbott, Esq., of Milwaukee, Prof. Louis Dyer of Cambridge,. 

 Prof. A. V. Young of Evanston, III, Thomas Hill, Esq., of Saa 

 Francisco, and Elliot F. Shepard, Esq., and John B. Pine, of New- 

 York. 



Resident members are to be chosen from the residents of Sitkai 

 who by their tastes, studies, or pursuits are qualified to promote 

 tbe objects of the association. Corresponding members are to be 

 chosen from those interested in the object of the society in all parts, 

 of Alaska, and from those officers who have been stationed in the 

 Territory. Honorary members are to be chosen from those whO' 

 have in any way distinguished themselves in promoting the study of 

 Alaskan geography, natural history, ethnography, or other branches. 



