Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-12
DISEASE Of AGE
Metchnikoff Talks on Hopes
of Longevity.
STORY OF HIS DISCOVERY
Poison in Digestive Tract Causes
Senility and Loss of
Faculties.
From London Tjf-Rits

From London Tit-Bits.
Prof. Metchnikoff receives one with the
simplicity of true greatness, says the
Paris correspondent of the Pail Mall
Come at half-past two" said the voice
in the telephone, and up there, in a top
room of the Pasteur Institute, where sat
the savant. there was not the least for
mality. When 1 told him that England
had accepted in a larger spirit than
France his discovery, he smiled and said
A prophet is not without honor
Though 1 am Russian. have been more
than twenty-five years in France. and,
therefore. am accounted French" Then
he began to give me the personal side of
his discovery. when l was thirty-five
I was neurasthenic. 1 had pains in my
head that prevented me from working
properly. My friends told me 1 had cere-
bral anemia, and doctors gave me beef
steaks. which made me worse. I had
something wrong with my heart, too. At
the age Of fifty-three l consulted spe-
cialist in Germany. He diagnosed arterio
sclerosis and chronic nephritis. That was
when i began to take myself in hand.
My ambition became to change my in
testinal flora from a natural or wild flora
day, before my lecture at the Academic
des Sciences. in which l announced my
discovery of glycO-bacteria for prolong-
ing life, I was able to prove by analysis
that my system contains practically no
poison.
by the putrefaction in the digestive tract.
We have been able to establish this by
artificially producing age in animals AS
you know. my dietary includes curdied
milk. My point de depart in this case
was the longevity of the Bulgarians, who
are accustomed to take this milk There
are many centenarians among them
Old Before Their Time.
Thus by eliminating poison through
the combative microbe one eliminates
old age?'
Yes, to a large extent. One should be
able to live to- hundred-to hundred
and twenty. perhaps-without wishing to
die. And when 1 say live please DO not
misunderstood me. l mean life with en-
joyment of all the faculties and with
sensations of pleasure. for without that
mere existence is nothing. l am Sixty
seven OF course that is not great age
but / assure You l am more active for
my years than most men of my meter
A bacteriologist' life is very exhaustins'
making great demands upon his vitality
Most Of US are used up before my time
I'm many active professions one is
forced to retire at sixty-five. One cannon
continue to be an army doctor after that
age. and men like myself. engaged IN
close laboratory work requiring deep con-
centration and experiments OF an exact
ing character, rarely outlast that time
Now personally do not think | am ready
vet to be thrown on one side And the
savant laughed in his delightful way ana
shook his leonine name. still free from
gray.
Secrets of Hard Work.
Il find / can work longer and harder
than many of my younger colleagues. The
assistants here all require holidays-a
month at least After three days l want
to start to work again! l attribute my
energy to my diet. because, as tell you,
between thirty-five and forty l was in
capable of sustained work without feeling
malaise If l should die suddenly to-
morrow it would not disprOve my theo-
ries. because / began late in life But
the man who has barely reached middle
life might very properly begin with every
hope of arriving at the best results.
MY dietary is not purely vegetarian or
fruitarian. but is mixed diet. composed
partly of meat. / think a little meat is
necessary My wife, who is much young
er than I. cannot support as great
fatigue She follows a strictly vegetarian
regime Intestinal pOisOns atrophy the
brain"