Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1909-08-06
OF BACTERIA
Germs Found Constantly at War
in Mans Internal Organs.
Distinguished Surgeon Claims the Hu-
man Span Might Be Extended
with the Large intestine
Removed.

London.-The theories of Prof.
Metchaikoff of the Pasteur institute
that man would live longer and be
healthier without any large intestine
are being put to proof in an interest
ing series of experiments now taking
place at Guys hospital.
DR.. A. Distaso Prof. Metchnikoffs
assistant, who has been sent to Lon
don by the Pasteur institute to con-
duet the experiments, explained his
progress.
When studying cholera a few
years ago." the doctor said, prof.
Metchnikoff discovered that the In
testines of the ordinary healthy man
always contained a great number of
varieties of bacteria. Some Of these
were found to be dangerous, because
| they formed poisons which were harm
| full to the body when absorbed into
the system, and others are beneficial
because they hinder the development
of the harmful germs.
I'm the lower large intestine 1t was
| found that the harmful germs great.
ly predominated. Prof. Metchnikoff
therefore concluded that If mans
large intestine were removed he
would suffer less from the intestinal
bacteria poisons which, according to
Prof. Metchnikoff's belief, cause the
common diseases of degeneration or
the internal organs of the body and
generally bring on premature old age.
The difficulty was to find patients
without large intestines on whom to
test these theories.
"Dr. w. Arbuthnot Lane, the we'll
known surgeon of Guys hospital has
solved our difficulties by placing at
my disposal some 80 or 40 patients
; whose large intestines be had removed
for the relief of chronic intestinal OBJ
struction. These patients have been
going about alive and well for periods
varying from few months to five
years since their large intestines were
cut out.
! 'In the short time have been work
ing / have proved beyond doubt that
in Mr.. Lanes patients many of the
harmful varieties of bacteria are alb
sent, while those still surviving are in
much lesser proportion than in nor
NAL individuals.
. "All animals Gncluding babies)
: when born have perfectly sterile di
: gestive tracts-that is, there are nc
I germs growing in the intestines Prof
: Metchnikoff believes that if we could
!, preserve this freedom from intestine
bacteria we could greatly prolong life
because the greatest cause of old agt
!. the absorption of bacterial poisonl
i. in the intestines-would be nonexist
10 ent.
q THAT it is possible to exist withou
n providing a culture bed within one
self for the development of these po
son producing germs has been proved
at any rate, on animals.
n, "By feeding a pteropus, an Austria
Y ian variety of bat, from birth on al
g. solutely germ-free food l have keI
er its intestines free from all bactert
lie for the four months of its existence
y 1t is therefore absorbing none of tn
X poisons which ordinarily are deve
en- oped in the intestines of these crei
Id lures, and / firmly believe that, ba
accidents, it will live to a niue
Ia greater age than it's fellows"
- DR.. Distaso made the following lii
of harmful and helpful germs foun
in the ordinary persons intestines:
Tia Friendly Bacteria-Bifidua, Lacti
m Aerogens; all Lactis microbes. Harr
in. full Bacteria-Putrificus, Perfringen
in. Coli.
ia ut is interesting to note" the dc
tor concluded, that no bacteria
re- putrefaction (the variety whlen FIX
az Metchnikoff considers most active
ire bringing ON premature old age) ha'
it'll been discovered so far in any of N
ZEN Lanes patients whose large intestin
have been removed"