Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-03-03

0He~itIn OF NHHN tHtN MpNlN nav
been on the 1850 basis. Out OF more
than 5000. 600 children under I'VE
years only about 5.00o, or one IN
1900. died from this former scourgc
Az n result diptharia has nov fallen
from third to twentieth place az "a
cause of death.
I Similar figures might be given of
other diseases, such as small pox. yell
low fever and many others which once
ravaged the baby crop, but which now
as a result OF Information gained By
experiments with animals, are robbed
or their tcrrors.
Ii is stated on high authority that
the discovery OF the diptheria anil
toxin has resulted IN the annual saw
ing OF 5000 lives IN New YORK city
alone. Proportionateiy FOR the whole
country tho annual saving OF life is
many times this number. CAUTIOUSLY
enough while diphtheria has I'M
doubtedlv existed for thousands OF
years. the chemical nature OF anti
toxin hy which II IS subdued Is not
known. We cannot tell. except by
tests on animals whether a given
erum has much, little or no anti.
toxin I'M it.. The governments Of the
world. therefore. require that every
producer shall test on animals the
antitoxic strength Of the serum sent
out from his adjustment The anti
toxin must no only be produced for
ms By animals, but must be tested
upon them and without such tests It's
use could not be continued.
While the experiments which lead
To the discovery Of this antitoxin we're.
Of course. long ana complicated. the
history OF its achievement indicates
the manner in which the study of the
- Ft - - staI.4l.Ffa 49, at
mails has benefited the human race,
particularly the. child. Roux. al the
Institute in Paris, studied the
of the diptheria toxin and
found that a very violent poison was
given of from the bacilll growing in
bouillon. This can be uttered on from
the bacteria and has peculiar proc
pertios. Starting from cartier studies
Won Behring experimental upon the
effect OF injecting small but increasing
doses Of this toxin into animals. ANA
discovered the remarkable facts that
these animals became absolutely inn
to the poison ANA that their
hloOd not only contains an antidOte
the poison but contains this anti
in such large amounts that a
little OF the blood serum transferred
to another animal VIII protect ii from
infection by the most Nirulent diph-
bacilli. When in a test tube
small amounts OF this protective
are added to large amounts OF
it ia found that the poison is
completely neutralized SO that 1t has
40 more deleterious effects than
When injected into animals
his antitoXin serum was found 10 pro-
,ect them against infection for a num-
Der OF weeks. The serum was then
injected into a few children. suffer-
ng from diphtheria, with beneficial
IL was found also to protect
hem, as in the case Of animals, from
Infection. This use became more and
general. so that ait the present
inc ninety per cent OF all cases %
liphtheria are treated with it. with
n annual saving In Europe and Am
RIGA Of something over one hundred
thousand lives.
In another field work has heen, and
$ being carried on along similar
Bv means of experiments on
greater and greater mastery
$ being obtained over diseases which
could otherwise Md unconquerable.
An increasing baby error is, Of
curse. an economic necessity, and
aany Of the bcnatlts of animal ex-
ierimentation are therefore most
irectly appreciated through their
rOtccllOn OF cNliuren, But, mere |
gain. an analogy can be drawn be-
ween the baby crop and the corn
rop. In neither instance is it a
ucstion 81 a single crop, 1t Is the
which counts and makes the
ecessity OF considering coming crops
aramount. Improvement in the gem
raj health of parents means health
IT babies. and Il is for this reason
nat all owe the country research is
cling carried on looking toward mas
ring Of diseases not alone peculiar
, infancy but affecting all ages
II takes no great ainoun Of acnmon
predict an annual 100000 O0,-
90 baby crop for this country in the
ear future. Anyone who thinks this
llue fictitious or sentimental, hold
IS chat corn is bought and sold for
, much a bushel, while babies are
ra|ctically never dealt in for money
0nsiderations. has only TO remember
if it were not for the baby crop,
i the agricultural products and the
Itput Of mills. mines and factories
ouid not be worth q cent. 50, after
i. aside from sentimental values. the
ably crop IS easily the countrys
in cold cash, and therefore
1ubly worth conserving.
TpJnN {a ~enuNgufr 1aN az tbaf ppall