ow be clear to him that
pulmonary consumption constitutes only a part, although a great part of
tuberculosis and that there are a great many diseases besides that can
now be surely cured, it is hoped, with the aid of Koch's method. But
this much should be remembered by everyone that this remedy also acts
best and surest during the _beginning_ of a disease. We hope that no one
will allow valuable time to slip unimproved; it may easily happen that
it is too late for successful treatment. Everyone will be able to
recognize the symptoms of diseases, which Koch has taught to cure, from
the foregoing complete description, and it is better to apply the remedy
once too often than miss the proper time for application.

Koch's first communications relating to the subject have just been
published and will be given unabridged in the following pages. As these
communications are written for physicians we will add such explanatory
notes as are deemed essential for general intelligence.

[Illustration: DR. KOCH IN HIS LABORATORY]

THE FIRST COMMUNICATION

_Relating to a Method to Cure_

TUBERCULOSIS,

BY

Prof. R. KOCH, Berlin.

In a lecture, delivered by me several months ago, at the International
Medical Congress, I referred to a remedy, which makes animal subjects
impervious to the inoculation of Tubercle-bacilli, and in the case of
diseased animals, checks the progress of the tuberculous disease. In the
meantime experiments have been made with human subjects, about which I
will report in the following.

Originally I intended to complete my investigations and especially gain
sufficient experience concerning the practical application of the remedy
and its production on a larger scale before I published anything
concerning it. In spite of all precautions too much has already been
published about it, and that distorted and exaggerated, so that I was
obliged, in a way, to prevent false conceptions, to give even now a
synopsis of the method as far as it has progressed at the time being.
Under present circumstances it must necessarily be short and leave
unanswered many important questions.

The experiments have been, and are still being made under my direction
by Dr. A. Libbertz and Stabsarzt Dr. E. Pfuhl. The necessary subjects
and material have been provided by Prof. Brieger from his Polyclinic,
Dr. W. Levy in his Private Surgical Clinic, Geheimrath Fraentzel and
Oberstabsarzt R. Koehler in the Charite-Hospital, and