The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-06-01
THINGS EUROPEAN
Metchnikoff's Vaccination Against Ty-
phoid --- British Court Defines a
Sardine---American Artists
in Paris.

PARIS, May lit is true that we
have discovered method of vaccinat-
ing against typhoid which has given
most satisfactory results" said Prof
Metchnikoff, the famous head of the
Pasteur Institute, to The World corre-
spondent today.
The announcement of this important
discovery was first made by Metchni-
Eoff this week in a communication 20
the Academy of Science Afterward
the World correspondent visited him
in his laboratory at the Pasteur Insti-
tute and asked for details.
"The method is simple, requiring but
little time" said the professor. For
troops in the field and for all others
who are unable to take the ordinary
precautions against typhoid this meth
cd, which has been scientifically dem
onstrated, should be Of excellent SER
vice. 1t will not do to speak of it as
something revolutionary, however, as it
is not cure for typhoid, but pre-
ventive of the disease, which is already
preventable by following we'll known
rules regarding the boiling of water,
etc. But the vaccination will rem
der immune those who are placed in
infected regions where they cannot
follow hygienic rules"
Prof. Metchnikoff described the re-
suits of his long experiments in these
words: Its value has been scientific
ally proved" But with wise reticence
he refused to claim for his discovery
anything very new.
Other Typhoid serums.
The English Dacteriologist Wright,
the French savant, Prof. Vincent, and
others have introduced more or less
successful anti-typhoid serums. All
these Vaccines, however, have been
prepared from bacilli no longer alive,
having been generally killed by heat.
Prof Metchnikoff sought to prepare
vaccine from living bacilli placed in
specially prepared water made sensi-
tive or impregnated with substance
found in the serum of animals that had
been made immune. For this purpose
the horse was chosen. The virus thus
acquired was first used on chimpan-
ices as being most like men.
Then the dangerous experiment was
tried on human beings. Two men
connected with the Pasteur Institute
volunteered, and 500,OO0,0O0 typhoid
bacilli were introduced into the organ
ism of each volunteer. Little reaction
resulting, ten days later they were
again inoculated with nearly three
times as many microbes, and again no
ill effects were observed. Tests
showed they had become immune even
to the virulent Eberth bacilli as they
are called. Since then forty-four other
persons have been subjected to the
serum. all with success.
Several European armies used a
serum against typhoid, enteric, dysen-
terry and other diseases that in time
past have ravaged the armies of the
world.
Compulsory In American Army.
In the American Army incubation
against typhoid is compulsory, prep
aration invented by Surgeon-General
George H. Torney of the United States
Army being used. It's efficacy has
been demonstrated by a table Of fig
ures collected by Lieut., Col. ]. R. Kean
of the Medical Corps, which shows
that the $4,000 troops stationed at San
Antonio, Texas, last year had but one
case of typhoid fever and no death,
whereas in 1898 the 10000 men of the
Second Division of the Seventh Army
Corps stationed at Jacksonville, Fla,
had 1929 cases of typhoid and 24S
deaths, the two encampments being in
the same latitude the same length of
time and under Identical conditions.
The British Army during the Boer
war inoculated thousands Of soldiers
with good results.
The Spanish and German armies
also use serums.
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