Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-12-02


their bodies and the germs
daily.
c. Consumption is practically al.
ways conveyed during the infancy OF
the person afflicted, from the moth.
er's milk or otherwise.
Doctors Withhold Criticism.
The revolutionary character Of
these views will be perceived at once
and 1t goes without saying that they
will be sharply criticised by many cx
ports, although few physicians care Ia
give positive opinions until after ex,
haustive experiments.
At the same time Professor Won
Behring's claims seem to be justified
by many considerations. He contends
that the infant stomach has not the
same power OF digesting the germs
as the stomach of the elder child OIL
the full-grown individual. In the in
fantilc body the bacilli find a favor,
able breeding ground and after re,
naming quiescent a number of years
during the more active and rapid
growth and development Of the body
take on new life as maturity or ces
sation of bodily growth arrives.
II this were not true, the professor
points out, everybody would be a vic
tim of the disease. In the gastric
juices of a healthy stomach the tub
ercle bacillus is destroyed at once
just al millions of other bacteria are
destroyed. And even il the stomach
were diseased the germs could moi
live a moment in the powerful pep
sin, which dissolyes all kinds of ma
terials, yet remains unaffected iself
But in an infants stomach the germ.
are more or less favored and readil,
find their way through the system.
Another point in favor of Won Beh
rings theory is the familiar fact thaI
in some families all the offsprinf
have the disease, while in other!
some are afflicted and one or two es
cape, being perfectly healthy ant
strong-lunged. Both of these contra
dictory facts strengthen the Germans
claims. For in the first ease all the
offspring acquire the disease durinl
their infancy. while in the other cast
only some acquire It. and the others
being fed on a bottle, perhaps, OF
through some other accidental hap
pening. such as being "nursed out,
escape ID.
May Disprove Heredity.
Granting the truth of this view
the inheritance of consumption 1.
largely disproved. For although bac
terra are often found in cells it is b,
no means certain that the germs per
ish and multiply in offspring, at leas
in the typical forms in which they al,
known as bacilli of tuberculosis.
The application of Professor vol
Behring's theory, however, is the mos
interesting part OF the question. As
Stunning that he Is right. the conclu
sion would be that consumption in lat
err life could be prevented were in
fants fed on sterilized material
whether milk or something else. Tha
process, ii is claimed by those VIII,
regard the theory with favor, would
break the chain in the continuity O
the disease from parent to child b,
permitting the natural growth of tn,
stomach to go on until its juices ha,
become powerful enough to resist ant
destroy the germs.
Physician is NoncommittaI.
i have read Professor Won Beh
rings paper" said a New York ply
stefan today, but II would be prema
ture to discuss it critically. Il is
rather strong assertion to say that 9
per cent of all people have the pro
pagation of tubercle bacilli going OF
In their bodies without the accom-
panying destruction of tissue. TIL,
bacilli 1t is true, can thrive on the lin
ing of the trachea or bronchi and We
the man show no lack of health an,
live on indefinitely in spite OF them
But examination hardly bears out tn
contention that 80 per cent of tn
population are thus affected. althoug
it would G reasonable enough [
believe so, judging from the univei
sal presence of the germs In city air.