East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-10-27

phia.-News of astounding
discoveries by Professor Elmer Metch-
nikoff, head of the Pasteur Institute
in Paris, in which it is believed the
problem of longevity will at last be
solved, has been brought to this city
by Dr. f. Mortimer Lawrence, who
has just returned from abroad.
If the theories of Professor Metch-
nikoff are correct, the mystery of the
'elixir of life," which has been the
object of the search of centuries, will
have been partly solved.
This whole question: said Dr.
Lawrence today, "hangs on the nature
Of old age. Hitherto, biologists have
regarded senility as inevitably the ter
minal stage of life, and one of the
most generally accepted theories
is the failure of new cells to de-
velop in place of the worn out cells.
Old Age Premature.
"Of course old age is inevitable, but
Professor Metchnikoff now comes for
ward with the statement that old age
develops prematurely in man, as COM
pared with other animals. Going a
step farther he contends that old age
constitutes an actual, definite disease.
1t is well known that the hardening |
of the arteries and the other phenom-
ena of old age can occur even in very |
young persons, as the result of certain |
diseases, and notably as consequence |
OF prolonged poisoning with some OF
the metals, such as lead.
"By analogy Professor Metchnikoff |
concludes that constant absorption of |
some similar poison is responsible for
the too early appearance of old age in
man. 1t is striking fact that animals
that have no large intestines, notably
birds, live to an advanced age and pre-
serve their youthful appearance and
agility to the end
1T is also well-known to scientists
that the lower intestines swarm with
bacteria, which not only cause putre-
faction, but produce poisons so deadly
that should even the smallest amount
pass through the intestinal wall into
the blood grave and even fatal con-
would ensue.
Would Substitute Bacteria.
According to this theory, Professor
Metchnikoff and other European sci
entists have set to work to discover
means of ridding the intestines of
putrefactive bacteria without harm to
the patient, This cannot be done with
chemical agents. but Professor Metch-
nikoff has suggested that it might be
possible to replace the harmful bac-
-eria with others whose presence
would be a blessing rather than a
,urse.
I'm accordance with this idea, vari-
)us agents have been tried, notably
certain fermented milks. But the i'm
1ortant thing is not, as some persons
;eem to think, the use of sour milk
'r buttermilk, but of milk or some
'ther food substance in which certain
kinds of bacteria had been grown. Or
linary sour milk and buttermilk are
admirable foods, but the bacteria they
ontain has no chance against the pu-
refactlYe bacteria of the intestines.
Virile Bacteria Found.
This search has been for a bac-
eria, harmless or even helpful to
nan and at the same time is capable
# destroying those putrefactive agents
iuch an organism was at first found
n Russia in the Kephir bacillus, and
ince then other even more powerful
arietes have been found. 1t was at
irst supposed that the large amounts
f Tactic acid produced by Il ese bac-
eria did the work, but recent in
at the Pasteur Institute
GEMS to demonstrate that it is some
erment totally distinct from Tactic
cid, and Investigations are being
bnducted Of this ferment."