Evening star., 1904-03-12

mistic Philosophy. a Study OF the Nature
of Man. does he not?'
Yes. According to Metchnikoff, our ami
NAL ancestors. away back, did US bad
turn In evolving 1t from their own selfish
purposes. From the digestive point of view
1t plays no role at all; and even for the re-
absorption of the products of digestion it's
value is quite secondary"
A Waste Basket.
"Metchnikoff says it could be cut out?'
1T has been ablated again and again,
and the subject not only lived, but enjoyed
advantages. In mans remote herb-eating
ancestors (as in the horse and cow, the
great intestine. swarming with microbes
capable of digesting cellulose, was an es-
sential organ. Today it is mans mortally
dangerous waste basket"
ut is a den of putrefaction; and consti-
patton causes reabsorption of the pos-
ons elaborated by its microbes, not to speak
OF dysentery, the scourge of hot climates.
1t Is only natural that the digestive tube
should furnish disharmonies with mans
present civilized environment. Our ami
NAL ancestors. forced to live on roots
herbs, uncultivated primitive vegetables
and undercooked meats. had organs adapt
ed to their asslmilation-organs that de-
veloped through countless slow ages, while
mans present leap into civilization is out
or all proportion to them,' continued the
Paris doctor. Not having had time to get
rid OF the primitive system. man must put
up with it,
eff constipated. take tartaric acid in glu-
And at the same time-and always, in
all cases-be great eater of well-cooked
vegetables
Are they so nutritious?" 1 asked.
Not for their nutrition SO much as for
the furnishing of the great intestine with
q sufficiently great quantity of waste mat
ter to keep it functioning normally"
Then concentrated foods. like the beef
ho Ia f6n1 1~oa <,e
likely to remain a Utopian dream?'
To Combat Slow Poisoning.
Until last week l would have said cer-
tafnly yes. with Prof. Metchnikoff,'' he re-
piled Because it would seem impossible
for man to rourish himself with foods that
digest too easily without leaving a great
deal of waste. even with the aid of which
the great intestine emptes itself none too
easily. But it remains to be seen to ex-
actly what extent the benign influence Of
this new discovery of secretine and its
stimulation by tartaric acid may be able,
not only to relieve the cOnstipated. but
also aid humanity in it's struggle against
the slow poisoning which is said to be at
the bottom of sclerosts. or hardening of the
tissues-i. e.. premature old age.
1.-The death of our noble cells and the
occupation of their place by conjunctve
tissues l said, to show that l knew.
Yes: the noble cells. which really form
our organs, undergo progressive weaken
Ing, as age progresses. The sclerosis
hardening of so-calied old age is just like
that of certain chronic maladies. In these
the brain, kidneys. liver ETC., become hard
ened by the poisoning of alcohol, lead, mer-
curry. etc. And the poison that causes this
apparently causeless sclerosis must be
looked for in the great intestine
Its source is the innumerable mass of
microbes that swarm there. According to
the researches of Strassburger, they
amount to 12s. 600, ,O0o, coo, 600 per day"
Il thought 1 had heard that some of
those microbes are useful?" / said.
Useless Microbes.
''The uselessness of this microbian flora
is shown by the fact that nearly all Of it
exists in our waste basket, the great In
testine the digesting parts of the intes-
tinal tube containing very few indeed. New
born animals have been made to live abso-
lutely free from microbes. But, more to
the point, the patients who have had their
great intestine cut out have lived very
we'll without its microbes. The mass of
them remain comparatively harmless in
the great intestine, otherwise they would
have already killed off humanity; but their
soluble products can easily pass into the
lymph and the blood. Here are the slow
poisons that gradually break down man,
even when he is not particularly over
constipated.
What is to be done?" concluded my in
formant. I'VE beginning to see what
is to be done. Man cannot wait for the
great intestine to disappear, in the course
OF ages. In spite of the very sensational
pl ogress of antiseptic surgery we cannot
at present dream of cutting out the great
intestine from each citizen.
Having our great intestine, we must
take care of it, (He spoke earnestlyD
'Kaffir milk milk subjected to both Tactic
and alcoholic fermentations), or, perhaps
as good, merely sour milk. or buttermilk,
are splendid to take in moderate quantities
steadily, because in both of them exist the
Tactic microbes, splendidly' successful fight
ers of the microbes of putrefaction. We
should beware of all uncooked products of
the microbe infected earth-raw salads
artichokes, Strawberries. melons. onions,
cucumbers. celery, radishes and so forth
Unless thoroughly cooked, do not touch
them. Then, as a last delightful hygienic
fact we have the discovery of
secretine.'
CONSTIPATION cured" / mused
The great intestine kept in order for
one and all he added. mot to mention the
liver and the Dancreas."
STERLING HELLO.