History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

Internal Medicine 141entered a plea for a well appointed laboratory for microscopicand physiologicresearch in Chicago. He emphasized that the united effort of allwas needed, and expressed the hope that Chicago might be the seat ofsuch a laboratory before the beginning of the World's Columbian Exposition1892 to 1893. "A laboratory for medical, physiological, microscopicaland scientific investigation, such that our European brothers will realizethat we are making rapid strides forward toward the front. Then wemay look for help to decide the vexed question of bacteriology and thebacillus theory."Dr. G. Frank Lydston, Chicago, read a paper entitled "Evolution in itsRelation to the Infectious Diseases with Especial Reference to the LocalVenereal Affections."Chicago reported a severe influenza epidemic through the first fourmonths of 1890.1891An address on "Koch's Lymph" was presented by Dr. Frank Billings,who, after a long and careful study of the history of tuberculosis, concludedthat Koch's lymph, a probable ptomaine, is a product of the bacillus oftuberculosis in pure culture and is the real virus— the materies morbi—oituberculosis. When inoculated into a tuberculous patient, it intensifiesand shortens the natural histologic and anatomic changes of the disease,which are manifested clinically by the symptoms and signs attributable tothe intensified morbid process. The remedy is a dangerous one but may besuccessfully used when the necrosed tissue and its contained bacilli can berapidly and completely thrown out of or removed from the body. In allother instances, the remedy will be of little or no benefit and may do absoluteharm by exciting a more acute form of tuberculosis, which may infectthe whole body with a tuberculous poison. No evidence exists tosupport the idea that it may give immunity against tuberculosis. It hasvalue— a dangerous one—as a means of diagnosis in doubtful cases of tuberculosis,but it is of value only as a positive sign. By its discovery and use,Koch has added emphatic and irrefutable evidence that the tuberclebacillus is the specific cause of tuberculosis.Dr. William E. Quine, Chicago, reported five fatal cases of Charcot'shepatic intermittent fever due to calculi obstructing the end of the commonduct. There was intermittent fever, chills, jaundice, pain, digestivedisturbance and, in some cases, a distended gallbladder. The cases had tobe differentiated from malaria, gastric ulcer and septicemia. The prognosiswas bad and all patients died. Dr. Quine disagreed with Dr. Osier that"medical treatment was useless." Dr. Quine used purgatives. Fistulae intothe duodenum occurred at times. There was a long discussion of this paperby Drs. N. S. Davis and Frank Billings, and the latter suggested the term