The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-31
SHOULD BE BUT TWO
 CAUSES OF DEATH
Maryland Physician Specifies Unavoidable Ends
 as Accident and Old Age.

ficent to produce death a condition of immunity exists. This Immunity Is acc quired naturally or artffically. The fn- fluence of toxin upon the cells of body is one of excitation, causing the body cells to produce an antidote for the poison or an anti-toxin for the toxin. When the process of anti-toxin manufacture in the body goes on un- til the toxin is controlled we have naturally acquired immunity.
 The artifical immunity is one pro- duced by injecting into a body an anti-toxin secured from an animal convalescent from the disease. In other words, anti-toxin is supplied arr tifically in the beginning of disease instead of waiting for the body cells to manufacture it.
 Where Dumb Creatures Fail.
 The theory upon which serumthe- rapy is based has been proved to be correct beyond a doubt. The chief dif- ficulty In the way of it's more general application is the fact that such anti toxins as have come into common use are obtained from the domestic ami malls and only few of the domestic animals are susceptible to the disease which human beings are heir to.
 'Srhe anti-toxin for diphtheria, for instance, Is obtained from horses. The process is this: A horse is inocniated with diphtheria germs. He gets the disease. More and more germs are in- oculated, until finally they produce no effect No signs of the disease show themselves. That condition proves that the anti-toxin has been manufactured fin the horses blood sufficientTt to make him immune. Then an amount of the horses blood is drawn and the serum is separated from 1t, for 1t is in the serum that the anti-toxin lies. This serum Is then ready for inoculation in human beings afflicted with diphtheria
 Now, this is all right for diphther- ia, but it is not so for many other diseases The horse is not susceptible to them. And of the animals suscep tible many die so quickly when germ has, been administered that the anti toxin is not formed. A pig, for in- stance, will take typhoid fever. but it kills him at once. This unsusceptibili ty of animals to immunization is the greatest obstacle--I might say the only serious obstacle--that stands between man and the quick cure of all germ diseases.
 Make Use of Convicts.
 This great obstacle, nevertheless, can be overcome by using the criminals in our penitentiaries for the produc- ton of anti-serums A law making the CTlItSS OP(AOhdl with the onvicted-imprisonme on the one hand; inoculation with certain disease germs on the other-would solve the problem for all time. With the work in the hands of experienced men, chosen for the medical acumen, and not by political influence, a hu- man produce anti-toxin could be fur nished which would supply the medical profession for all, or nearly all, the
 
 would not be dangerous to the sub jects, either.
 If the above suggestion is too radi- cal for adoption in the present state of public opinion, much good can still be done if the State and National Gov ernments will cooperate with the medical profession in the works of in vestigation and manufacture. Anti toxin produced by corporations are placed at so high a figure that they are beyond the reach of the poor, and are such drain upon the rich that disinclination to their use Is produc- ed.
 This obstacle to the rapid develop ment of the twentieth century medicine could be overcome by generous State and municipal aid. Not such as is now provided for the production of vaccine virus, but a large and generous appro- priation that would induce competent and capable men to establish an insti- tuition for the production of anti-toxin that could be sold well within the reach of all
 The State now gives many thou sands to the College and Experimental Station in order that metsods for fore ing spring onions may be found, or means to kill a plant louse discovered. Why not give as many thousands to an anti-toxin institution to rotect the lives of it's children?'