The Washington times., 1921-02-27

kow, Of the gresf Pasteur Institute
= in Paris, has announced the surpris-
ing discovery thst caterpiilars are germ
proof. BY series OF Interesting expert.
ments Professor Metalnikow has watched
the results OF inocuiating them With the
germs of diphtheria. thberculosis. iockjaw,
bubonic plague and other microbes which
are destructive to human beings. Not only
is the caterpillar not at all disturbed By
these doses OF virulent germs. but 1t has
been found that the injected germs In a
few days have died or disappeared.
What is the caterpillar's peculiar armor
OF defense against these vicious micro
organisms?
What is there in the blood or secretions
or physical mechanisms Of these repulsive
little worms which is SO much more ef
fective than anything possessed by man.
kind?
If the continued researches at the Pas
teur Institute can discover the caterpillar's
secret 1t may have q profound influence
upon the future health and happiness OF
man.
IL uuGTe Is SOIlctuSuB III tuc OutCA pdiioA
that destroys these deathdealing germs
cannot that something be used In the dis
eases produced by these germs in man!
Or, better still, cannot the caterpillar,
which has the power to destroy. these
germs, be used to help prevent or cure
such diseasesg
Just what there is In the caterpillar that
kills the germs Is not known. We know
that some things like intense heat snd
chemicals win kill them outside Of the
body, and we know some causes of death
OF germs inside the body.
We say some persons are susceptible to
colds; some children get every disease that
is common in childhood, others never get
sick; some persons can go with impunity
through hospitals filled with patients hav-
ing cholera, plague, smallpox and other
contagious diseases. while others get such
diseases though miles away from case
In other words, some persons are immune
from certain diseases, others are suscepti-
BILE to them.
Immunity may be natural or It may be
acquired. The person who has had measles
will never get second attack. the first
producing an Immunity to that disease.
The theory is that, In such diseases some
thing Is formed and retained In the blood
which is detrimental to the germs produc-
ing that disease. Another theory is that
the body gradually becomes accustomed to
the germs and their products, and these
are thereafter harmless.
There was a popular theory that the
germs required certain ingredients In the
blood for their nouIishment, and when
these ingredients were all used up II took
years before q new supply was formed In
sufficient quantity to sustain new inva-
sion of such germs This theory was ex.
ploded when II was found that the germs
would thrive in the blood of person wilo
was immune.
And why a perfectly healthy person
should have less active phagocytes than
another perfectly healthy Individual we
don't know. Nor do we know why souno
animals should be Just az susceptible ~
man to ceftni1 germ diseases, less suscep
t'ble 20 other diseases caused by germs
and more susceptible TO other germ dis
eases. Animals develop diseases from
germs that are perfectly harmless TO man
Animals ard birds differ among them
selves In this regard. Fowl tuberculosis
will attack fowls, turkeys. pigeons and
pheasarts, but will not attack ducks and
geese.
The cholera bacillus is harmless to the
guinea pig II introduced through food or
drink as 1t Is In man, but ~ introduced
into tho abdomen II will kill the guinea pig
without producing the symptoms Of cholera
II introduced in the food or drink Of
sucking rabbit the rebbit will die OF
cholera. We can readily, understand how
the sSmo kind OF germs act differently In
different animals n we consider how differ
ent races Of man--even different individ
uals &C he seine race--change their char
acteristicb under different environments
There Is n difference In the character OF
the blood, perhaps in the character of the
nutrition supplied by the blood, and in the