The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-06-25
7 tuberculosis Immunity

" >CCINATION for the prevention of tuber-
culOsis is the strategy against the great white
plague, in the war that is now worldwide, pro-
posed in Italy where the efficacy of an anti-tuber-
,uloSiS vaccine has been demonstrated. An an
nOunCement regarding 1t, which is of the very
highest Importance, male last week before
the pathological section of the National ASSOcia-
ton for the Study and Prevention Of tuberculosis
by the special delegate from Italy, DR.. Enrico
Castelh, of Genoa. IF the expectations of Doctor
Castell and his associates are realized, tubercu-
osis will be. before the eud OF the century, mac
as little menace to mankind as smallpox has been
rendered, due to the discovery OF vaccine by Jen-
ncr
Doctor Casteili, speaking before the Seattle as
Scmblage of expert pathologiStS, announced a
method Of serum dag OSis of tuberculosis, perfect
ed by himself and his colleagues at the University
of Genoa He stated that by this test he was able
to determine the amount of tuberculosis infection,
the degree Of immunity against the disease, how
much tuberculosis matter must be introduced into
the body to obtain complete immunity, and how
long this immunity will last.
He predicted that in less than fifty years time
immunity from tuberculosis would be : thorough
ly accomplished in the OF smallpox.
1--WE have applied successfully the method Of
vaccination against tuberculosis conceived for the
first time by Maragano in 1903 he said 1--WE
ire able now to apply this vaccination on large
Gale among human beings and animals and we
have shown that we can even vaCcinate pregnant
women and animals and obtain products of con-
,eption showing features Of complete immuniza-
ton. We also have vaccinatcd babies during the
first six months OF life, when the body shows a
natural immunity against tuberculosis infection,
and we have obtained an immunity which in some
cases has proved to be still active four years after
he first incubation of vaccine.
'MOre important still, acting on the knowledge
that much OF the tubcrculOuS infection in infancy
is contracted through milk, which forms the prin-
pical element OF infant diet we concluded that if
we adopted for the feeding of babies milk obtained
either from immunzed animals vaccnated
mothers, we would eliminate the principal source
of infection Of this disease. The first six months
of life is the best period for storing the organ
ism with all the material defense necessary to re-
act against future possible infection. In our
opinion, the baby that is made immune through
the vaccination {" the mother and characterization,
and kept in a condition of active reaCtVity against
a possible infection by the feeding of immunized
milk, is victim stolen from tuberculosis. We
have succeeded in training group of farmers in
the Province OF Genoa in the technique of immu-
nization OF ANIMALS and have demonstrated to them
that the milk thus obtained does not change, Meth
er i'll taste nor in its nourishng qualities,
1--WE feel that are in position now to master
in logical and systematic way the problem OF
prOphyIaNlN OF tuberculosis and that we have &C
quired a better understanding of its treatment
The faculty OF Genoa is convinced that by apply
ing to the prevention of tuberculosis all the means
at our disposal, in less than fifty years from now
we would accomplish in tuberculosis what Jenner
has accomplished in smallpox, AS part OF cam
paign which had planned in Italy before the
war, using the boards of health as agencies, we
recommended the following program;