The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1909-10-13
OLD AGE A DISEASE,
Much Interest Taken In Metch-
nikoff'S Discovery.
VIEWS OF FAMOUS DOCTORS.
Agree In Thinking That Large intes-
tine Is Most Frequent Seat of Deadly
MaIadies-its Removal Impossible,
Declares DR.. Wyeth of New York.


Declares DR.. Wyeth of New York.
In medical circles throughout Amer
lea, especially i'm the larger cities. pub
lication of the discoveries of Professor
| Ellie Metchnikoff. head of the Pasteur
| institute in Paris. to the effect that old
age constitutes an actual, definite dis
ease emanating from the large intes-
| tine. has been received with great In
| terest.
Professor Metchnikoff In expert
| ments which he has been conducting
for several years has developed the
theory that death is a disease, due to
the formation of putrefactive bacteria
These bacteria, which produce deadly
| poisons. form In the large intestine,
| and their effect is to poison the blood.
causing the hardening of the blood
| vessel walls.
II Is a well known medical fact that
hardening Of the walls OF the blood
vessels. the tightening of the arteries
and other phenomena of old age often
occur in very young persons as re-
suit of certain diseases. Young per-
sons afflicted with prolonged poisoning
with such u metal as lead frequently
take on the appearance of old age.
By analogy Professor Metchnikoh
| concludes that constant absorption OF
some similar poison is responsible for
the early appearance of old age in
men The eminent scientists connect
ed with the Pasteur institute and otn-
or famous European specialists, ac-
| cepting this theory, have set to work
TO discover the means of Kidding the
|, intestine of putrefactive bacteria.
Could ssave Off Death.
, IL an antidote powerful enough &c
combat the poison germs is found
, Professor Metchnikoff and his asso
! ciates are confident that death can be
warded off indefinitely.
, professor Metchnikoff's discovery
{ may form an epoch in the annals OF
' medical science" said DR.. Raymond
{ L, Ditmars. curator Of the Bronx zoo
:. In New York city. "lts discover.
e which scientists have been hammer
: ing away at for years. / have no doub
that man could live indefinitely II th'
large Intestine could be cut out safeiy
Rut I'm afraid 1t can hardly be dom
now.
"It is a striking fact that animai
that have no large intestine live T.
an advanced age. Compared VIII
). other animals. old age develops In tn
y human being prematurely. Among tn
l. animals that have no large intestin
that live to an extremely OLD age ar
II birds. They preserve their youthfu
u agility and spryness to the end
l. their long span. | am told that som
e OF the Chinese sacred cranes withou
i the large intestine live to be l,oo
e years old. Turtles. too. whose intes
&c tine is greatly abbreviated. live yer
much longer than man."
The "Mott1er" Of Old Age.
,r DR.. Peter ]. Gibbons Of New York.
,r we'll known physician. was enthusiast
n tic over Metchnikoff's discovery.
a. .sThe large intestine can truly /
called the mother Of old age he SAT-
rs Nearly all the troubles that affii'
Iy the human race today come from tSi
70 one source the putrefaction OF II
ss large Intestine. Uric acid Is grei
IS trouble tu,l:iy which has It's seat
10 the large intestine. The great troub
e Is indiei,n. which produces intestin
70 Fermentation and causes destructit
is of the large intestine. Ii we could
I'm away with the large Intestine. v
N, could do away with Bright's diseas
a. which is really The most commt
cause Of death today"
There is no doubt that bacteria