Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-07-28
1ail9 - eagle
LIFE WITHIN LIFE.
HOSTILE ARMIES o. MICROSCOPIC
ORGANISMS WITHIN MEMS BODIES.

N. Pasteur's and Rival Theories-wha,
Vaccination Can Teach isis Medi
cine an Exact Science?-How Disease
Is To BE Conquered.
All are agreed now that disease is il
great part, at least due to the presence liz
the holy OF what are known as micr obes
These microbes are minute microscopic ami
NAL organism, which get into the boIy either
from the atmosphere or by other means and
produce the diseased state The point upon
which MEDICAL men differ is the exact man
ner in which they act on the cells of the
human body
Mr.. PasteUr, with whom is associated Mr.
Tyndail, the celebrated English naturalist
is convinced that their injurious effect is
due to their destruction of a certain portion
of cell matter which they call the pabuium
Now the tn DRY u on which they, therefore,
propose to give immunity from disease is
to introduce into the body another ,ut sim
liar micIobe, which will destroy Just the
same pabulum, but without tn, injurious
effects ON the system which are produced
by the disease germ.
The princi pal fact upon which this theory
proceeds is tina. in the infusion principle of
hay and cheese, which are known as cul.
ture fluids, it has been observed that after q
certain time, and when the aniInalcule have
increased to a certain number, they cease
to increase and begin gradually to die out
for want of nourishment; hence it is con-
cluded that by introducing into the human
body germ, as in the case of vaccination,
which is comparatively harmless, the
pabulum may lie exhausted and the system
rendered impervious to the attack of the
disease germ.
THEORIES OF KLEBS AND KLINE.
On the other hand, the German physi-
Clans, klebs and Kline, proceeding upon the
same facts, affirm that immunity from dis
ease is obtained by means of the excrement
left 10y the animalculae in the human frame
They proceed on the we'll known fact that
no species or similar species can live in its
own excrement, and affirm that the i'm
munity from disease enjoyed by those who
have once suffered from particular
trouble, or who have been inoculated with
the germs of similar nature to that which
produces the trouble, is due TO this excre
ment
Both these schools draw largely from the
facts observed in the cases of small pox,
and the immunity from its effects, which is
tenn of the vac, inc virus, microbe of very
similar nature to that of the smallpox germ
itself
The next school, likewise depending to
considerable extent on the same observa
tions, is that which is known as the vital
theory. According to this account the
micro eS pi oduce disease 10y depriving the
cells of the human body of the oxygen
which is necessary to the healthy perform
ance OF their functions, and it is maintained
by those vino uphold this theory that by
supplying the body artificially with an ex-
cess of oxygen there can be enough supplied
for both.
To all these three theories, however, it is
objected that they ought to be able to be
recognized by the microscopic analysis
which make, up SO large part Of the physi-
ology of the present day. 1T is affirmed by
tn ir opponent, that whether it be the de-
structiOn of the pabulum, the leaving of the
excreinent or the deprivation of oxygen, any
OF these ought to be visible effects under the
microscope This criticism, while damag
ing, is not, however, believed to be conclu-
sive, since the microscopic analysis is
scarcely in a sufficiently advanced state to
give SO precise a result at present, but
doubtless every day it is becoming more So
THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEsT.
Lastly, there is an ingenious theory,
which is maintained by some rising physi-
Clans that the whole phenomenon of germ
disease an it, immunity is due to the Oar
winian law of 1.-THE survival of the tittest'
in ''the stru for existence. According
to these, the els of the human body are
themselves separate animal organisms, with
an existence ami life of their own. These
germs cells enter into regular COM
bat with the disease germs, and when they
come Off victorious the body retains its
strength; while when and where they are
defeated the body succumbs to disease.
Now it is well known that in. all things
the prestige, if l may SO call iG, OF victory
leads to new victories; in other words, the
troops which have overcome the enemy to-
day are better fit to cope with him to -mor-
row than the new recruits Applying this
to the present instance, the upholders of
this theory remark that by supplying a
comparati ely weak adversary, such as the
vaccine virus, the cell germ gains an easy
which so strengthens its powers
that it is able to combat successfully with
new adversaries in the shape of disease
germs aftcrward-
This theory accounts for all that is ac-
counted for by any of the Others, and also
for the fact which has been constantly 90
served, namely, that immunity from disease
is in direct proportion to the ese.ity of
tine struggle So that those who have once
had a severe attack of any complaint are
free from its approach for a longer period
than those who have been affected with
some milder adversary, for it is evident
that the more severe the attack against
which the cell germs have been able to CON
tend the greater the strength and powers
which they will have developed Paris
Cor. Cincinnati Enquirer.