The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-08-05
BATTLE 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 boing 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.
duct the experiments, explained his
progress.
when studying cholera few
years ago." the doctor said, prof.
Metchnikoff discovered that the in
testines of the ordinary healthy man
always contained great number of
varieties of bacteria. Some of these
were found to be dangerous, because
they formed posons 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.
IN the lower large intestine it was
found that the harmful germs great.
ly predominated. Prof. Metchnikoff
therefore concluded that If a 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 Of
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 he had removed
for the relief of chronic intestinal OBJ
struction. These patients have been
going about alive and we'll for periods
varying from few months to five
years since their large intestines were
cut out.
in the short time I have been work
ing l 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 Qncluding babies)
when born have perfectly sterile d.
gestive tracts-that is, there are no
germs growing in the intestines. Prof.
Metchnikoff believes that If we could
preserve this freedom from intestinal
bacteria we could greatly prolong life,
because the greatest cause of old age
the absorption of bacterial poisons
| in the intestines-would be nonexist-
ent.
That 1t is possible to exist without
providing culture bed within ones
| self for the development of these poi
son producing germs has been proved,
at any rate, on animals.
"By feeding pteropus, an Austral.
ian variety of bat, from birth on abb
solutely germ-free food l have kept
it's intestines free from all bacteria
for the four months of it's existence.
1t is therefore absorbing none of the
poisons which ordinarily are devei-
oped in the intestines of these crea.
lures, and l firmly believe that, bar
accidents, it will live to a much
greater age than its fellows"
Dr. Distaso made the following list
of harmful and helpful germs found
in the ordinary persons intestines:
Friendly Bacteria-Bifidua, Lactis,
Aerogens; all Lactis microbes. Harm
full Observation-Disclosures Perfringens.
Coli.
1T is interesting to note," the doc.
tor concluded, that no bacteria Of
putrefaction (the variety which Prof.
Metchnikoff considers most active in
bringing on premature old age) have
been discovered SO far in any of Mr..
Lanes patients whose large intestines
have been removed"