Evening star., 1933-06-11
TEST RESISTANCE
!. AGAINST DISEASE
Public Health Service Report
Reveals Trained Blood Cells
Are Best Fighters.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

Trained blood cells. like trained
soldiers, are the best disease fighters.
according to experiments just reported
by Drs Charles Armstrong and w. T.
Harrison of the Public Health Service.
The experiments with guinea pigs
ut the National Institute of Health
Laboratories were undertaken to throw
light on the apparent better resistance
to an infectious disease in a person
who already has suffered from a nom
fatal case of another infectious disease.
almost regardless of the nature of the
two. They also tend to clear up the
apparent higher resistance of city resi-
dents over country people
The two Public Health doctors have
developed the viewpoint that the
disease-resisting tissues of the. body
grow stronger BY exercise. regardless
of the foe against which they are
modified. This is entirely apart from
the specific protection afforded against
a recurrence of various diseases BE-
cause of the resistant properties built
1p in the blood.
inject Tetanus Toxoid
- the experiments here guinea pigs
were injected with protective doses Of
tetanus toxoid. such as is used to pro-
teet human beings, After this the ami
mails were not subject TO tetanus in
fection. There is no relationship
between tetanus and diphtheria The
diphtheria toxin -antitoXin used TO pro-
tect children against this disease
causes fatal paralysis in guinea pigs
But the Public Health Service doctors
found that the death rate among the
animals previously immunized against
tetanus was considerably less than
sa avv10y xrl,a rr,,ra @1v- -
uiphtheria treatment. For each
malady resistant properties had to be
built up in the body. but there ap-
peared to be an undifferentiated de-
tense mechanism behind both of them.
The same results have been obtained
between other diseases.
This, it Is pointed out, may explain
the fact that in such an epidemic as
poliomyelitis. or infantile paralysis
comparatively few are attacked by the
disease although presumably every
body in community is exposed. Many
OF those who escape may have no spe-
cific infantile paralysis resistance. but
n general resistance built up by mild
attacks of other and unrelated dis
eases.
Army Records Cited.
In the great army camps during the
World War. the experimenters say in
discussing their results. it was found
that city recruits were considerably
less subject to infectious disease than
those from the farms Health records
are cited from the University of Wis
consin showing much the same differ
ences between rural and urban stu
dents. The former showed a con-
siderably higher rate for the incidence
of such maladies as lobar pneumonia
and spinal meningitis.
Another example cited is that of the
epidemic of parrot fever three years
ago. This was a disease hitherto un-
known in the United States. so nobody
could have an acquired specific i'm
munity to 1t. There were 81 cases in
Maryland. Of which careful histories
were taken. 1t was found that every
body who handled sick parrots or
cleaned their cages in rural homes de-
Veloped the disease. while less than
half of those similarly exposed in the
cities were taken sick. 1t is also
brought out that the incidence of in
fantile paralysis is less than half as
great among children who have been
immunized against diphtheria.
Resistance Built Up.
The theory is developed that the
individual raised in a crowded city in
aiuOSL COiloldllL COuldCE Will CIleTS Is
bound to acquire numerous minor in
fections. of some of which he may
not even be aware at the time But
with each infection the resistance
mechanism of the body Is called into
action and receives training which
makes its response more prompt and
efficient another time It is much the
same proposition as the general train
ing given an army. although the SOL
diers are to be used specifically as in
fantrymen. artillerymen. engineers. etc
The experiments show. it is pointed
out in the Public Health Service re-
port. that the almost universal small
pox vaccination and diphtheria i'm
munization probably serve as mild pro-
tectionS against infectious diseases in
general as well as specific projections
against the diseases for which they are
intended
1T is admitted" says the report.
that the protection gained through
non-speciflc experience is only relative
and probably of no value in preventing
an attack Of measles or other highly
infectious disease. though it might pos
sibly tend to modify its course How
ever, the increased resistance might be
sufhctent to prevent at least some cases
OF infection with certain diseases DOS
sessed of feeble powers of attack. such
as vaccination encephalitis or
nOliornveitiS