The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-10
ANoTHER coNFUsING THEoRY.

ANOAhEfk GUNFUSANG THEORY.
 When two eminent scientists or phyr sicians, each with equal opportunities to arrive at correct conclusion, diam critically differ about an important matter what Is the poor layman to do7 If they differ so widely and so radical- ly that their positions eanot be har- monized or reconciled we suppose the ordinaryi individually had best take to the woods. @e
 As is generally understood, the med teal world has practically united on the theory of consumption. how it Is nurtured, multiplied and disseminated. The germ theory is agreed on and we thought 1t was also generally agreed that the germs were conveyed in var ious ways from the lungs of an affect ed person, and received by others through the lungs by inhaling air or dust loaded with the germs. Now we have an unsetting theory! the particu- lars of which we copy from a contem- porary, lest we fail to got some of the names correct. It says:
 According to London physician who has been making a first~hand study of tuberculosis for many years the theor- lies upon which the medical world is basing its fight against the disease are all- wrong. Consumption belongs, ne says, to the mycotic group of diseases In which the original source of infcc- tion is a plant. Cattle acquire the nal ady from eating timothy and allied grasses and man gets 1t by inRestion or inoculation, never by inhalation. It "a nn hnFn1ifaFaF hA nH there any predisposition to it In the in- diVidual
 The bacillus. in a state of nature. is a saprophSte feeding on decay of the vegetable world. It becomes capable of causing disease in cattle when they are deprived of aetinisni or the proper ty of the chemical rays of the sun. The inference drawn by an American medical magazine in commenting on the new theory Is that if 1t Is true 1t is reasonable to assume that by restor- tng actinism to cattle, the bacillus would again. become saprophyte, Tn which case consumption would be ex- tirpated.
 All this is interesting. but somewhat confusing. If all that is needed to avoid consumption is thas we see that cattle have a plentiful supply of "ac" tinism," how afe we to go about giv- ing it to them? Can we find the stuff bottled up ready to be fed or other wise administered to the cattle in quan- titles to suit all occasions. and if not, how about it?As The Indianapolis Star looks at the situation, gust as we are educated to the point of believing that the tubercle bacillus Is lying in wait for us at every turn, that we are in danger of breathing the creature in as we pass along the street, that it is lurking in every dark corner, that it pursues us in our travels and pene- trates with evil intent to our homes just as we are learning this and pre- pairing as best we can to avoid and evade the evil along comes this medi- cal sharp who, for all we know, may be just as well posted as his brethren, bacillus at all. but with one of anoth- CT family which must be fought in quite another way.sa #
 We do not know. of course. that this London medico knows any more about 1t than any one else does, or that his theory has any foundation. but we can all see that he is confusing things, and we wind up by adopting the conclus- ions of The Star, which says:
 How 1t is to be fought the London doctor does not say, but the inference is obvious. Instead of sleeping with one's doors and windows open to admit all the air in the ward, instead of go- Ing warily about lodging the dreaded microbe. instead of eating heartily of beef and consuming quantities of milk. we must rather, consider what we shall not eat. Since the saprophyte infests the vegetable world and all cattle eat grass it naturally follows that we can not safely eat animal foods. Are we. then, to be vegetarians2 But think of the saprophytes that may get into our systems that way and cause disease just as they do in cattle! What are we then to do-confine ourselves to nuts, grains, fruits. Or shall we go calmly on taking such care of our health as the conditions and eXigencies of life permit and wait until the doctors get together and decide what the secret of consumption really is?