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Show EHRLICH'S SEARCH FOR CURE-ALL The panacea, or drug that will cure all diseases, was the dream of the ancient student of medicine. It has not yet been found, nor is It likely to be; yet there is at least one great medical authority who expects to discover dis-cover it for one particular class of diseases namely, those caused by bacterial Infection. There Is nothing illogical In the Idea of a substance that is fatal to all bacterial organisms. organ-isms. Indeed, such substances are already al-ready known, but unfortunately those with which most people are familiar will kill the patient as well. In an address before the recent International Internation-al congress of medicine in London, Prof. Paul Ehrlich, famous as the discoverer dis-coverer of salvarsan, announced his hope of obtaining what he calls a "complete radical cure" of all infective infec-tive diseases. A report in the Hospital Hos-pital (London, August 16) says: "Many people associate Ehrlich simply with the mucn-taiked-ot salvarsan, salvar-san, his sensational discovery of three years ago; and, outside bacteriological circles, thi3 is perhaps his chief title to fame. It is well to realize, however, how-ever, that Ehrlich is a man of most exceptional genius, whose bold speculations specu-lations and imaginative theories have been the outstanding features of bacteriological bac-teriological progress any time this last 12 or 14 years. "It will not be surprising if by the time of the next international congress con-gress in London, Ehrlich's name has been promoted to the company of the Immortals Lister, Pasteur, and the rest. As a matter of interest we may note that tho professor is nearly sixty; so that if he lives to see that congress, con-gress, and if It meets in London after a similar interval of time to that which elapsed between this just concluded one and its predecessor, he will be well over ninety yoars of age. We wish him length of years to visit us again when that time comes. Prosit!" |
