The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1909-10-16
.lLD ACE A DISEASE,
Much interest Taken In Metch.
nikoff's Discovery.
VIEWS OF FAMOUS DOCTORS,

tine Is Most Frequent Seat Of Deadly
Maladiss-lts Removal Impossible,
Declares Or. Wysth of New York.
In medical circles throughout Amer
ica. especially in the larger cities. pub
ncation Of the discoveries Of Professor
Ellie Metchnikoff, head Of the Pasteur
institute in Paris, TO the effect that old
I age constitutes an actual. definite dis
ease emanating from the large intes-
tine. has been received with great in
terest.
I Professor Metchnikoff 10 expert
ments which be has been conducting
for several years has developed the
theory that death is disease, due to
the formation Of putrefactiye bacteria.
These bacteria, which produce deadly
poisons. form in the large Intestine,
and their effect is 10 poison the blood.
causing the hardening OF the blood
vessel walls.
1t 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 a re-
suit Of certain diseases. Young per
sons afflicted with prolonged poisoning
with such metal as lead frequently
take on the appearance of old age.
By analogy Professor Metchnlkoff
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 9th. /
er famous European specialists. ac-
cepting this theory. have set to work
to discover the means of Kidding the
intestine of putrefactive bacteria.
Could Stave OFF Death.
Ii an antidote powerful enough to
combat the poison germs is found
Professor Metchnikoh and his asso-
ciates are confident that death can be
warded off indefinitely.
Professor Metchnikofs 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. It's a discovery
which scientists have been hammer
ing away at for years. have no doubt
that man could live indefinitely If the
large intestine could be cut out safely.
But I'm afraid it can hardly be done
now.
1T is a striking fact that animals
that have no large intestine live to
an advanced age. Compared with
other animals. old age develops in the
human being prematurely. Among the
animals that have no large intestine
that live to an extremely old age are
birds. They preserve their youthful
agility and spryness to the end of
their long span. ! am told that some
Of the Chinese sacred cranes without
the large intestine live to be 1000
years old. Turtles, too. whose lntes-
Inc is greatly abbreviated. live very
much longer than man"
The mother Of Old Age.
DR.. Peter J. Gibbons Of New York.
we'll known physician. was enthusias.
ic over Metchnikoh's discovery.
'The large intestine can truly be
allied the mother of old age" he said.
Nearly all the troubles that affiict
he human race today come from that
me source-the putrefaction of the
arge intestine. Uric acid is a great :
rouble today, which has its seat in !
he large Intestine. The great trouble
indican, which produces intestinal
and causes destruction
f the large Intestine. If we could do
way with the large intestine. we :
ould do away with Brights disease
Thich is really the most common
ause Of death today"
There is no doubt that bacteria in /.
ne large intestine cause a great
mount of suffering and DEATH" said u
r. John A. Wyeth. one Of the lead
Ig surgeons Of New York. but to
~ that one could live indefinitely
IMPLY by removing the large intes
ne is the height of foolishness. / dc
0t believe that Professor Metchni
)ff claims indefinite life through his
Just now the discovery is L
no practical benefit. The operation :.
remove the large intestine is so 2,
lngerous that scarcely any one could
re through it."