Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-01-19
TO LENGTHEN LIFE.
A PARIS SCIENTIST SAYS 1T is
POSSIBLE.
The Remedial Action Contemplated is on the
Circulation and Not the Digestive Processes
DIR. Ellie Metchnikoff Expects to Find Sc
rum which will Feed the Human Cells so Ac-
curateIy as to Prolons Life to ESQ Years.

Dr. Ellie Metchnikoff Expects to Find Sc
rum which will Feed the Human Cells so Ac-
curateIy as to Prolons Life to ESQ Years.
DIR. Ellie Metchnikoff. in n. Y. World.
The first thing to say is that we
have not yet discovered means of
prolonging life. We started from u
theory which experiments so far have
proved to be correct, but we are not
beyond the laboratory stage of in
vestigation; in other words. we have
found road which we think leads to
a certain point, but we have not trav-
elled down it to the end, and there
may be many unforeseen turns and
obstacles.
Human beings die too early-un-
naturally early. In our constitution
there are appctites for all we do. We
drink because we are thirsty, we sleep
because we are sleepy. But no hui
man being ever feels the physical ne
cessitv for death. Why? Because it
comes too soon?
As one of my colleagues pointed
out, when interviewed about our Sc
rum, in the animal kingdom the usual
natural duration of life is approxi.
mately ten times the period occupied
in the process of maturing. An ele-
phant natures at thirty years Of age
and lives to 300. Man, therefore,
should live to be $50 years old. Only
we introduce into our system so many
ingredients which our organs were
never meant to cope with, and we live
under such abnormal conditions that
our organism always gives way, some
where or other, long before that.
However, in a solution of the prob
lem how to obtain longevity, it is evil
IDENTIFY futile to look for a general
changing of human habits-note that
I don't say civilized habits only.
Thus we are led to inquire what does
cause ssnile decay now, under present
conditions, and how does it manifest
itself and how can we prevent or at
least retard it. 1t was to determine
these questions that we commenced
anew and have been continuing our
experiments.
Upon what scientific basis of known
facts we proceeded cannot possibly be
stated in the limits of such an article
as this. Likewise an entirely ade-
quate handling of the work done
would bristle with technicalities utter
ly unintelligible save to specialists
in cellular life processes. However,
let me say this:
Our organs are composed of two
sorts of tissues. One, which we will call
the conjunctive OF plebeian tissue,
supports or enwraps the other, which
may be termed the noble element.
By the noble element mean the con-
glomeration of cells characteristic Of
the organ itself and actually perform.
ing its special functions.
Now, roughly speaking, what con.
stitutes senile decay is the the destruc-
ton or rather weakening Of the noble
elements either by poisonous ingredi.
ents or microbes introduced variOusly
into the system, or simply by the en-
croachment of the more vigorous ple-
beian cells. This encroachment,
technically known as sclerosis, pro-
duces the atrophy of the organ.
Where it takes place in old age the
atrophy of one or more organs may be
observed, but whether all or one organ
are attacked, it is we'll known that
whenever one ceases to perform its
duty death ensues.
Therefore, the remedy against senile
atrophy was to be sought in the shape
of some serum which would reach the
organ or organs menaced and feed
and strengthen its noble elements suf-
ficiently to enable them to fight the
poisons or microbes or both circulat-
ing in the system and resist the en-
croachment of the plebeian tissue.
At this place it is desirable to point
out that the expression "long life Sc
rum" is erroneous and misleading.
We shall probably always be unable to
! prolong life by injecting a single Sc
rum, just as now we are unable to op-
crate on the heart, nerves, brain and
bowels with the same drug. 1t is not
one serum we seek, but a series of
them, admitting, for the moment, the
principle that the senile atrophy of
any organ can be stopped if you pre-
vent the untimely whitening of its
noble and weaker elements.
cannot and would not attempt to
enter into details as to the preparation
OF our serums in such brief article,
nor describe our experiments. AS a
matter of fact the average reader
would not find such experiments so
sensationally interesting as is general
ly imagined.
Suffice it to say we have found that
the organs can be reached separately
by injecting serums, and that, in q
general way, we are convinced that we
are on the right track as to what must
enter into the composition of these
10 a.