Evening star., 1900-01-20

a state of disease is started Nevertheless,
they rush to the weak point in immense
numbers, try to overwheim the enemy and
the outward evidences of the battle are
what We call fever
Battle of the Cells.
Now, al! our organs are made up. of
two sorts of cells or cellules. the noble
and the plebeian sorts The noble variety
play a vital or secreting role in the animal
economy. while the others seem to be there
for no other purpose than mere filling
The plebeians may be compared, again
should our politics permit ito the lower
or ignorant classes of society, constantly m
state of turmoil, having socialistic views
wishing to invade the positions of the high
er cells. who really give its form and char
acter to the society. These higher cells, in
youth and health, hold their own and keep
the lower cells in their place. but as this
condition of old age comes on. aided by
toxic causes. alcohol, tobacco and other
stimulants. the nobler cells are depressed.
They have not only to struggle against
microbes from without and the plebeian
cells within. but against the wiliful poison
ings of a modern fast life.
An Unequal Struggle.
"Ah the struggle is an unequal one!" the
savant went on. regretfuliy. These lower
ceN;-the microphages, as l have called
them-will group themselves around a high
er cell. and then. little by little, sucking at
it, eat it up. devour it. Then you have the
organ weakened the nerve, the marrow or
the brain, it may be- Then, as the op-
GRAFTON goes on constantly. the effect Is at
last noticed in the progressive atrophy ol
the organ. 1t is followed by graver disor-
ders. until the end is reached-par ralysis."
But. doctor" some one asked, what is
the real business of these cannibal cells?
to anf ha
only
"And>your discovery"
rs to contine them to their business
his smiling answer.
Yes, exclaimed DIR. Mechnikoff, Il am
undertaking, with my assistants and pu-
pills to struggle with these microphages. to
come to the aid of the nobler cells, and
thus to arrest or prevent all possible afro
phies-that is to say. hold back decrepi-
tude and fix unaging youth!
His eyes burned with a holy enthusiasm,
his face flushed with the miraculous hope,
and despite his earlier warnings not to look
for earthly Immortality, it was easy to
imagine that such immortality had risen
before his mind.
BY II Series of Vnccins.
How shall we do this?" he repeated
why, always by the methods of the Pas
teur Institute BY a series of vaccins. You
know how NJ Bordet, injecting the blood
of a rabbit into guinea pig and then in
jecting feeble solutions of the guinea pigs
blood into other rabbits. hit on the specific
serum for the red giobuies of the blood?
ii was the starting point of the whole dis
Covery- Well. the nerve cells. the cells of
the liver. of the kidneys, of the blood and
all the others become subject to the inces-
SAINT attacks of the microphages, or pie
hrIdn cells. We have set our whole section
To work hunting the Serums which will put
them in state to defend themselves, as
has been done for the red globules by the
injected guinea pig $ blood The specific
kidney serum was found some days ago
NJ Bordet has also made discovery which
enables to prepare scrums which affect
only one category of cells. without touching
the others. Thus the kidney serum will af-
feet only the kidneys. the blood serum
only the blood and SO on.
No More Atrophies.
we can. then. by injections. reinforce
he energies of the attacked elements. The
eternal struggle of the micrcphages against
the microbes will continue. and as long as
the man whose body makes their battle
field takes care to live under hygienic con-
ditions and not risk accident, he will al
ways triumph over disease. The eternal
struggle between the plebeians and the
noble cells will also go on, only, thanks to
our serums. the cannibals will not triumph.
In word. no more atrOphies. Therefore
an indefinite Drolongation of youth. until
the day, when. tired of having lived 50
long. having accomplished all our tasks
we feel aWaking in US the desire, the real
the good, the true desire. to sleep forever
the sleep of the earth.
4 solemn Scene.
As the master spoke these last solemn
words his countenance Illuminated with the
vision he could see SO plainly. while we
saw only its shadows, We perceived that
the library room had been filling up. A
dozen and more students had been stealth
lily finding places. The very servants IF
the institute, with the familiarity of trust
I'd subordinates IN France. had ventured
in and hung about the doorway. The early
winter night had already fallen. and the
red light danced and flickered in the open
CRATE II lit up the students faces-young
faces. filled with noble ardor. And then
one of our number broke the silence that
had fal en- on us with the last words of the
great man.
And 50 it is really in the near future,
lif.. prolonged. old age held back, decrepi-
tude vanquished?'
II hope it, slowly pronounced Prof
Mtchnikoff. And, to tell all the truth
these experiences commence to leave the
domain of theory already. a physician in
farlS-and l really am forbidden to name
hiul-has made certain thera peuJical app,i-
cation Of our discoveries. He inds himself
doing well with them"
STERLING HEuIG.