Preventing Consumption.

Manawatu Herald, 9 April 1904, Page 2

Preventing Consumption.

GERMAN PROFESSOR’S IDEAS TESTED ON HIMSELF.

A most important contribution to ’ the question of the prevention of tuberculosis is made in the current number of the German Journal for Tuberculosis and Sanatoria, by Professor Dr A. Moller. This physician, who is head of the medical staff of the sanatorium for treatment of tuberculosis at Belzig, has for years devoted his special attention to ft variety of tuberculosis bacilli which he has Cultivated in the blood of blindworma. The bacillus developed in this way loses the property of reproducing itself when introduced into the system of warm blooded animals or of any human being*— in fact, it dies when subjected to ft temperature of 76deg. Professor Moller was so convinced of the correctness of his oonclusions that he had the courage to test them on himself. In March, 1902, he injected bacilli of blindworm tuberculosis into his. own veins without • experiencing any re-action. In October and November of the same year he repeated the experiment three times, and only once had a slight fever, which disappeared the next morning. After he had thus, according to his theory, rendered himself immune, Professor Moller injected the bacilli of human tuberculosis into his blood on December Ist, 1902. He experienced no after effects whatever, except that in the following two months he lost fifteen pounds in weight, which, however, he regained by the following April. Twoguineapigs which be inoculated simultaneously with the same culture of human tuberculosis bacilli both contracted tuberculosis. Although the experiment was made fourteen moths ago, Professor Moller is to-day perfectly healthy. He is continuing his investigations, but whether he will discover a method of healing persona already afflicted with tuberculosis is a question of the future.