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en:homrec:homrec08-pettenkoffers-experiments-with-cholera-bacilli [2012/07/18 11:18]
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en:homrec:homrec08-pettenkoffers-experiments-with-cholera-bacilli [2012/07/19 12:14]
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 ====== PROFESSOR PETTENKOFFER'​S EXPERIMENTS WITH THE CHOLERA BACILLI. ====== ====== PROFESSOR PETTENKOFFER'​S EXPERIMENTS WITH THE CHOLERA BACILLI. ======
    
-Von Pettenkoffer puts the etiology of cholera is an equation of three unknown quantities — <span grade2>​x,​ y, z</​span>​. Let <span grade2>​x</​span>​ be the specific germ or microbe disseminated by human intercourse;​ <span grade2>​y</​span>​ the something which depends on place or time, the something which might be described as the "local disposition";​ and <span grade2>​z</​span>​ the individual predisposition which must exist in all infectious and con-tagious ​diseases. Von Pettenkoffer complains that modern sanitarians,​ since Koch discovered the cholera bacillus, have altogether eliminated the y, or second condition of the equation: ​+Von Pettenkoffer puts the etiology of cholera is an equation of three unknown quantities — <span grade2>​x,​ y, z</​span>​. Let <span grade2>​x</​span>​ be the specific germ or microbe disseminated by human intercourse;​ <span grade2>​y</​span>​ the something which depends on place or time, the something which might be described as the "local disposition";​ and <span grade2>​z</​span>​ the individual predisposition which must exist in all infectious and contagious ​diseases. Von Pettenkoffer complains that modern sanitarians,​ since Koch discovered the cholera bacillus, have altogether eliminated the y, or second condition of the equation: ​
  
 "This theory,"​ writes a correspondent of the Philadelphia <span grade2>​Evening Telegraph</​span>,​ "Herr von Pettenkoffer has sought to prove on his own person. He lives at Munich, and Munich was not, this year, locally disposed to contract cholera. A great fair was held, numerous travelers came from Hamburg, where the most fearful epidemic of cholera was raging; but it was all in vain; the cholera could not obtain a footing in Munich. Von Pettenkoffer concluded that Munich and its inhabitants were not predisposed,​ and therefore could not be contaminated. This he bravely determined to illustrate on his own person. Dr. Gaffky sent him from Hamburg the most virulent culture of cholera germs. At one dose Von Pettenkoffer swallowed several milliards of comma bacilli. That these were vital and effective was proved by the attack of diarrhoea they produced. He took no medicine, yet in five days the diarrhoea ceased. The evacuations were bacteriologically examined and found to contain pure cultures, in large quantities, of the cholera germs. Then Professor Emmerich made the same experiment, with similar results. For more than a week each of these Professors had in his intestines millions, countless millions, of true cholera germs, the lineal descendants of the comma bacilli taken from the intestines of persons who had died of cholera at Hamburg, and yet they did not suffer in any way from cholera. These billions of true cholera germs were not killed, the evacuations were not disinfected,​ they were thrown into the drains and sewers of Munich, where, had the town been locally disposed, they might have spread death on all sides. Not one single case of cholera occurred. Swallow the germ, spread it broadcast; if there is not a local predisposition,​ you cannot produce cholera. But it was, nevertheless,​ a bold experiment, and I cannot better conclude this most important subject that by quoting Von Pettenkoffer'​s own account of how and why he swallowed this terrible living poison :— "This theory,"​ writes a correspondent of the Philadelphia <span grade2>​Evening Telegraph</​span>,​ "Herr von Pettenkoffer has sought to prove on his own person. He lives at Munich, and Munich was not, this year, locally disposed to contract cholera. A great fair was held, numerous travelers came from Hamburg, where the most fearful epidemic of cholera was raging; but it was all in vain; the cholera could not obtain a footing in Munich. Von Pettenkoffer concluded that Munich and its inhabitants were not predisposed,​ and therefore could not be contaminated. This he bravely determined to illustrate on his own person. Dr. Gaffky sent him from Hamburg the most virulent culture of cholera germs. At one dose Von Pettenkoffer swallowed several milliards of comma bacilli. That these were vital and effective was proved by the attack of diarrhoea they produced. He took no medicine, yet in five days the diarrhoea ceased. The evacuations were bacteriologically examined and found to contain pure cultures, in large quantities, of the cholera germs. Then Professor Emmerich made the same experiment, with similar results. For more than a week each of these Professors had in his intestines millions, countless millions, of true cholera germs, the lineal descendants of the comma bacilli taken from the intestines of persons who had died of cholera at Hamburg, and yet they did not suffer in any way from cholera. These billions of true cholera germs were not killed, the evacuations were not disinfected,​ they were thrown into the drains and sewers of Munich, where, had the town been locally disposed, they might have spread death on all sides. Not one single case of cholera occurred. Swallow the germ, spread it broadcast; if there is not a local predisposition,​ you cannot produce cholera. But it was, nevertheless,​ a bold experiment, and I cannot better conclude this most important subject that by quoting Von Pettenkoffer'​s own account of how and why he swallowed this terrible living poison :—
en/homrec/homrec08-pettenkoffers-experiments-with-cholera-bacilli.txt · Last modified: 2012/07/19 12:14 by 80.86.255.130