Nexus - 1901 - New Times Magazine-pages

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spreading lesion or injected into the body, can cause constitutional symptoms (fever, malaise, headache, joint pains, anorexia, prostration) quite like those of influenza.” Rich concluded: "The writer has seen attacks closely simulating influenza occur in healthy, tuberculin- positive laboratory workers as a result of the accidental inhalation of the vapor of boiling tuberculin." spreading lesion or injected into the body, can cause a virus. However, incredibly, even the filtrate from the constitutional symptoms (fever, malaise, headache, joint — discharge just gave low-grade symptoms. So if it wasn't pains, anorexia, prostration) quite like those of a "virus" that had caused the deadly strains of flu, and if influenza." Rich concluded: "The writer has seen attacks it wasn't a bacterium present in most malignant "flu", closely simulating influenza occur in healthy, tuberculin- | what could it be? To Shope, possibly both, working in positive laboratory workers as a result of the accidental conjunction with one another. In 1931, he introduced inhalation of the vapor of boiling tuberculin." both the "virus" and Pfeiffer's bacillus into animals, which subsequently came down with just the deadly Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, NYC, 1931 "flu" complicated with pneumonia that had killed American virologist Richard E. Shope, based in the — between 50 and 100 million people in 1918-19. Department of Animal Pathology at the Rockefeller As late as 1944, Shope insisted that the pandemic nstitute, was in direct communication with British — influenza was this meld of "virus" plus Pfeiffer's bacillus.” investigators Smith, Andrewes But as opposed to what's written and Laidlaw at Mill Hill, England, in today's revisionist history, the and sent them samples of his flu idea wasn't really his. When virus and Pfeiffer's bacillus. But As late as 19 { 1, Shope was a _ teenager, the he British group, in return, wasn't Shope insisted that the announcement that hog cholera being 100 per cent supportive. (swine flu) was due to the Virologists like Shope and pandemic influenza was combined action of a bacterium Laidlaw saw a great opportunity this meld of “Virus” plus and a virus stimulated French- or virology provided by the . 9 . Canadian microbiologist Félix 918-19 pandemic. Shope began Pfeiffer’s bacillus. d'Hérelle in 1917 to publish his he first salvo on swine discovery of bacteriophages— "influenza", again falling back on viruses which live in and can he stale conception that the mild destroy or alter the shape of disease and flu-like symptoms were created in pigs by — bacteria—followed by his 1921 classic book on such what he believed to be a "filterable virus".° Shope had __ bacterial viruses.” he singular advantage of realising that since 1918, pigs Actually, it was some time after joining Rockefeller in ad been coming down with the same "influenza" each 1928 that Richard Shope switched his interest from year. Having lived in lowa, he had grown up with the _ tuberculosis to virology. Originally he was looking for nowledge. But beginning his investigations in earnest, | simply a bacterial cause such as Pfeiffer's bacillus for Shope became perplexed. Not a virus but a bacterium "swine influenza", as the medical orthodoxy of his day ept cropping up in swine mucous secretions, and it dictated. There is no evidence in the literature that resembled Pfeiffer's bacillus or Haemophilus influenzae (H. Shope even knew about the filterable forms of H. lu) more than anything else. The problem was that he __ influenza (Pfeiffer's bacillus) which also appeared “viral”. couldn't infect most of his subjects with the bacterium. | To accept Shope's conclusion, an exception had to be So he took the mucous secretions of sick pigs and put made. There wasn't a single cause behind the 1918-19 hem through a filter which he thought would only yield = pandemic, but two: a virus and a bacterium. As late as 1944, Shope insisted that the pandemic influenza was this meld of “virus” plus Meo ere (Ae industrial espionage)) w Ft Ww el y vs en Oo A NI = en = cpal.,| AG Be ve abs tea pecs wo Some rvi//e UK Medical Research Council, Mill Hill Farm, 1932 British virologists Smith, Andrewes and Laidlaw had started out by falsely trying to link the virus which caused dog distemper to human influenza. Nor was the fact lost on many that Patrick Playfair Laidlaw's group seemed to fly directly in the face of Shope's multifactorial conclusion, which said that both a virus and Pfeiffer's bacillus from swine were necessary to acquire the flu. Just the "virus" itself was necessary, claimed the British trio.* Christopher Howard Andrewes, who would subsequently receive the lion's share of credit for discovering 54 * NEXUS Pfeiffer’s bacillus. DECEMBER 2011 - JANUARY 2012 www.nexusmagazine.com