The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-10-12
To Lengthen Existence
Experiments by Which Nan May
Live to Reach Age of 200
Ycnrs.

Within the last three centuries the
average length of life has risen in civ
ilized countries from under 30 to over
~. Roughly speaking, everybody lives
nowadays half as long again as if they
had existed some centuries ago. Why,
"a great many scientists are asking,
should this process not be hurried
on?
The great improvement during the
last few centuries has been due to the
lettering of sanitary conditions and
to the advance of medical science gen.
orally. But many Investigators are
trying to find something more speedy.
The great authority on this subject
is the famous Prof. Metchnikoff, who
declares that there is no reason why
the average length OF life should not
be nearer 200 years than one
His theory-and 1t is generally ac-
cepted--is that the general decay
which is called old age is due to the
gradual collection of microbes on the
large intestine. They collect on this
tube owing to the putrefying of par
ticles Of food. and spread their poison
gradually till they cause general de-
cay.
Experiments have shown that vege-
tables rich in sugar, such as dates,
beetroot. carrots. etc, produce none OF
these poisonous microbes. His idea,
therefore, is to form a sugar-produc-
ing center in the important tube. But.
as sugar consumed in the ordinary way
all gets absorbed before reaching the
spot, he has decided to form it by
means of a microbe.
II his microbe can be firmly estab-
liShed in the human body the problem
of adding n century or so to the aver
age life is solved. Lecturing before Il
learned body in Paris a short time ago
he announced that after experiment.
ing on human beings with this mi
crobe, which he had obtained from
the intcstines of a dog, he had found
that the pOiSons which in time bring
on old & had ceased to form.
Another cure" for old age can be
bought over a chemists counter, dis
guised in the pleasant form of hoco-
lates. 1t is based on the same great
scientists discovery that Tactic acid,
such as is produced by sour milk, pre-
vents the poisonous microbes from
collecting. 1t has been noticed that
those races which live largely on sour
milk are very long-lived. There are
reasons for believing hat some of the
Arabs Of the Sahara, who live chiefly
" '| - VA ~ IN r. VI
200 and upward. And the inhabitants
OF bulgaria, where centenarians are
nearly as common as six-fOOt men, live
largely on a preparation of sour milk,
known as "yahourth." 1t is the bacil-
lus of %"yahourth" that NJ. Massol, the
French scientist, has incorporated in
the sweets known rs 'massolettes."
What is known as Tactic cheese is also
on sale in England with the same pur-
pose. In the early part of the bible
sour milk is often mentioned in con-
n%ection with the patriarchs, who lived
for hundreds of years.
a bulgarian scientist. DR.. Tranjen,
is working on different lines. Certain
diseases are treated nowadays by in
)ecting into the blood of the sufferer
a substance obtained from the blood
OF an animal which has succeeded in
shaking off that disease. The reason
Is that this blood must have developed
a sort o. antidotc Gan anti-toxin) that
mas killed the diseases poison Cor
taxin).
So Or. Tranjcn proposes to put into
me blood of young people a prepara-
ton obtained from the tissues of old.
peopie. The blood Of healthy young
people should shake this poison off. II
me mysterious anti-toxin formed by
lhc young blood in order to do this
could be found. the secret would be
solved.
Another school Of scientists relies
on radium and similar rays. 1t has
been found that, if radium rays shine
on the larvae the young) of meal
worms, 1t delays their growth and de.
cay. a mcal-worm under radium put
ilVcs several generations not under
radium. If some similar treatment
could be successfully apDlied IN man
"A human being would be still q child
at 30, and have n comfortable middle
age lasting ovcr 80 years.
n Best Place.
Thpre'S u hnct ~ "