The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-07-30
RESISTANCE TO DISEASE.
A Consideration of the Question as Ap
piled to Man and Beast

posed 10 the measles, anu my ooSI-
Macy was so great that the disease
did not take hold" of me. 1t was not
until l was twenty years old, and in the
midst of much work, that my system
was in the proper condition. Then the
measles came, and came hard, and
many a time did wish that they had
had their run in my childhood. This Is
but the common experience of the
race. Some persons will not contract
the most universal of contagious dis
eases, while others will prove the oppo-
site exception by having twice ''catch-
| ing" disease, that in most persons oc-
ours but once.
The question of the resistance to dis
eases, and especially to the contagious
ones, is quite obscure. The advanced
students of the various diseases that are
| quickly prOpagated in a community,
and spread from individual to individu
al, and family to family, are almost
unit in their belief in the sO-called germ
theory. They believe that the various
catching" diseases of children, many
of the fevers, cholera, smallpox, diph-
liberia, etc., are all caused by micro
scopic living germs that enter the sys-
tenn and there propagate at very
rapid rate. 1t may be possible for
kind of bacterium to so develop in its
strength as to be able to prey upon liv-
ing tissue. In other words, it is not be-
yOnd reason to suppose that a kind of
germ may, under most favorable Cir
cumstances, pass from putrefactive
one, infesting only dead matter, to one
that is truly pathogenic. With this
view, it is easy to account for the Orlgi-
nation and development of some of the
scouIgeS of hospitals. The hospital
gangrene seems to originate in the
ward. and is not introduced. The bac-
terra of putrefaction have the most IA
vorable conditions to develop in the
wounds, and become in time able to
prey upon living tissue.
The question that interests us now is
that of resistance. Several theories
have been advanced. Some investiga-
tors have considered that each suscept-
ible animal has a substance within
itself upon which the particular germ
feeds. Thus there is the pabulum for
the measles, the smallpox, scarlet
fever. and so on through the list. When
| these germs enter the system and prop
agate, then they feed upon this mate
rial, and in time NAV exhaust it. They
account for the fact that persons rarely
| have these diseases more than once, on
| the ground that the nOurishment pro-
vided for the germs has become eX-
T., . =,
| turn of the disease, the germ nutriment
had either not been used up during the
first attack, or new supplies had formed
since.
1t seems as if this theory calls for
au unnatural state of things. The StOr
ing up of food supply for these vari-
Gus kinds of disease germs seems con-
trary to the general tendency of the
vital functions. We have been taught
that any etfete matter substance not
needed for the activity of the animal
is cast off. Again. having formed this
substance once, it is strange that it
should not be formed again within the
system. and actually invite a second at
tack from the same dangerous quarter.
1t is claimed by some that during the
course of germ disease a poison Is de-
yelOped in the system of the patient.
that remains and prevents any further
attack. The advocates of this theory
base their belief largely upon the fact
that the allied micrO-organiSmS grow
ing in dead organic matter are as
sociated with. if not the cause of GER
tain chemical changes, that result in
the production of compounds prcjudi-
cial to the farther growth of the germs.
In short, the bacteria commit sort of
suicide.
The theory of resistance that seems
to be gaining ground a&sprpsent is the
vital one | call it vital in distinction
from the one that has been briefly
stated, which may be called the chem
ical theory. The vital theory assumes
that the resistance resides within the
vital cellular elements of the animal
body. The supporters of this theory
find that the germs will thrive and
multiply in the dead tissue of an animal
in which it could not be propagated
while living. For example, they say
the BdceLiUS ANTHRAX causing the fatal
splenic fever or anthrax in cattle, does
not thrive in the living tissues of the
hog, while it may be propagatod in a
culture of juice from pork. Again,
fresh blood from an animal will become
infested with germs, but these germs
when introduced by injection into the
same animal from which the blood was
drawn, will disappear. The only differ
ence. as far as they can see, is dead
blood in one case, and living blood in
the other.
In view of this theory, how are we to
account for immunity by first attack?
The vital elements having been exposed
to the inroads of the disease germs,
begin at once to fortify themselves
against the invading organisms. and as
new cells form, they inherit this ten
dencv. We have here involved the
whole subject of acquired tendencies
and heredity. The subject is vast one,
and it is only possible to touch upon a
few points and keep within the space of
a newspaper article The danger en-
countered by those who 90 into foreign |
countries, especially those in the tropics, |
are many Even in our own country. |
to 90 from Maine to Louisians in mid
summer Is a great risk of the life of the |
northern-born and reared person The |
natives Of the feverish and malarial |
tropics become accustomed to the eli
mate. and are able 10 withstand the in !
roads Of disease germs that would |
quickly carry of a newcomer with one !
of the dreadful contagious diseases of !
the country. 1t is reasonable TO |
suppose that the system becomes |
accustomed to or fortified against |
the uIfavorable surroundings. We
know this is true with regard to nearly |
everything else when not present be-