Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-12-15
HEALTH AND HAPPINESS
Can Man Produce Races That win Resist
BY DIR. LEONARD KEENE HIRsHBE re.
A. b., NJ. A., NJ. ID. tJohn Hopkins)

Can Man Produce Races That VIII Resist
Diseases,
Controlling diseases by means of
anti-toxins, vaccination. anti-ssrums,
fungicides, parasiticides, antiseptics
and sanitation is a tedious method
which calls for constant Wig lance as
the price of safety. In many maladies,
however, such as cancer, sleeping
sickness and rabies, even these diff
| cult procedures are uncertain and inn
possible. The destruction of q germ
after it has attacked merely checks
disease.
Professor Coulter, botanist OF the
University of Chicago. points out that
with respect to plants, the permanent
disappearance of diseases will be at
tanned only by the introduction Of dls-
resisting races. In the matter OF
plants and some animals, this may
be possible by choosing individuals
immune to destructive infection. If
these are mated and pedigreed it may
be possible to develop family, tribe
or line which will resist the most ma
licious and malignant onslaughts of
diseases formerly fatal
/ Some Interesting Examples.
The loss of both animal and plant
/ germs and parasites of many mala-
| dies are known, and methods to con-
troll some have been devised, but
progress in developing immune races
is slow, although promising.
/ Mice have been made to resist can
| GER Several varieties of wheat and
other grains have been made immune
to rust and other diseases. Hybrids
of the buffalo are bred not only for
their value, but because they resist
various cattle defections.
1t is well known that some mem
bers of the human family are less
prone to fall victims to tuberculosis,
yellow fever or diabetes than others.
| It is none the less evident that a sus-
ceptibihty or predisposition to attack
is by no means necessarily associated
with a weakened condition of the in
| dividual because persons in health,
as vigorous. apparently, as their
neighbors, succumb to some distem-
pers which others throw of without
| trouble
Susceptible plants and animals are
often open to attack only during GER
tain stages of their growth. Infants
and the young are prone to one kind,
while middle-aged and old are open
| to others. There is immunity in one
decade and susceptibility in another.
| Some species of the cotton plant are
resistant to destruction in one locality
and susceptible in another. Chickens
are immune to lock1aw bacillus, but
anthrax germs, to which they are
also resistant, can be made to poison
and kill them If their feet are kept
| immersed in cold water.
Possibility of Success.
Man Injured to outdoor life is i'm
mune to pneumonia unless he smokes,
| drinks, suffers the chill of immersion
| in cold water or too rapid evapora-
tion of perspiration. Housed-up per-
sons are susceptible to pneumonia, as
also are those who have had 1T.
| In the development of disease-re-
| sisting species of potatoes 1t has been
| discovered that evolved immunity
may gradually disappear in succeed
| ing generations.
The proof that it is possible to de-
yelop disease resisting races is found
also in the fact that different kinds OF
microbes and parasites tend to re-
strict themselves to certain peoples.
Negroes are more immune to yellow
fever virus than are whites. Jews
are less susceptible to tuberculosis
than are other white races.
Germs may not be able to penetrate
the skin. membranes or various COW
erings of the anatomy. Even IL they
are able to enter the victims tissues
they may perish from lack Of nour-
ishment.
i On the other hand, the tissues may
furnish appropriate food yet stimuli,
taneously deal the invading germs g
death blow with poisons or anti
toxins generated in the body. Like g
mouse inveigled into trap by means
of nourishing cheese, the door slams
down on 1t and destroys the invader.