DEFENSIVE WAR ON BACILLI

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 137, 5 March 1919, Page 5

DEFENSIVE WAR ON BACILLI

INOCULATION AGAINST DISEASE

TRYING OUT THE "FLU"

(By Professor Woodruff, in the Melbourne "Argus.")

Inoculation is well established in modern medica'i science as a means.of preventing infection in the case of mnny diseases of man and animals. Everyone knows that in certain diseases person once attacked and recovered is veirj;_ unlikely to have that disease again. Such is the case with scarlet fever, measles, or smallpox. It is a« thonijh the defensive forces of the body have become trained and efficient 'by reason of their practical experience in one) overcoming the invading cause of the disease (microbe, virus, etc.). Should suall a person come in contact with the same disease infection again, the white cells of the blood and the blood fluids mre ready and qualified bv their previous experience to overcome the invidinjr microbe or virus, and protect the body from further attack. In such a case the person or animal is said to be immune from that disease. The duration of the immunity van-ies. in different diseases. In. those mentioned above it lasts for years or throughout life. In ths case of an ordinary cold recovery loaves an immunity of very short duration, lasting only a few weeks. Sinnlarly one attack of pneumonia does not prevent a second' attack for more than a few months. ■ • ■ Many attempts have been made to produce immunity from diseases by artificml means. In some cases inoculation with an infinitely small dose of the infective material of the disease, virus, or microbe, has been nsec. This was the practice in the case of smallpox 200 years ago before Jenner's vaccination was discoverptl Such 'a method usually involves crave risk* of virulent infection .n i>. percentage of tho patients inoculated. In Jennw s vaccination against amillnox, the method now in vogue in all civilised countries, the material inoculated is the virus of a closelv related but. harmless disease namelv, cowpox. The blood cells ami fluids "having practised on towpox infection are equinned and ready to successfully nrotect the'bodv against the dreaded and highly fatal disease of smallpox. Defensive Forces Educated.

It remained for modern medical science to show that in the case of many .diseases inoculation of a man or animal with dead microbes or bacteria vonld serve to educate the defensive fi.rces or the body, i e ' the Wool cells and fluids, so as to render them efficient to keep out or overcome living microbes of the particular disease when such attempted to invade the body. ' ~.,.. A recent outstanding example, of this method is the inocnlation of all our soldiers against typhoid (or enteric) fever, with the result that this disease (which in the South African war killed more British soldiers than all the Rims of the enemy) has been pmctoally unknown in the present war. This result is one of the most remarkable triuinnhs of modern medical science, and the method employed mav be briefly described. .' ; , The bacillus or microbe causing tvDlioin fever can be obtained from an affected person and can be I'nltiyated artificially in broth , or on suitable solid material in an incubator. '■ a'laree quantity, the growth is washed off with sterilised water, and tl.v.s a, turbid suspension of myriads of livin* typhoidbacilli'in wnter is obtained. These germs are then killed by means of a disinfectant, or by heat, ind Hie dead mixture is thoroughly «naken r-rd put through a filter to {ret 'rid of coarse ■naiticles. The material has next to be standardised by findiii? out how many million? of dend bacilli are contained in cnp.li cubic centimetre of the suspension. This constitutes tb° vaccine. When such n preparation is injected in n suitable dose under the skin of a man 'it sets', up a renction on. the nart of. ■ the- body, for although quite dead and absolutely incapable of producing typhoid fever, it still -contains millions of (l<md bacilli which when disMegrateil by . the man's blood set free poisonous products in small tiuantitip l :. 'iVsi , stimulate the. blood odls and fluids to action, the blond rapidlv ncnmrcf: the trick of neutralising and overcoming these poisonous bodies, and Hip animal is noi>; immune from a natural infection of typhoid fever. Counteracting Complications, In the case of pneumonic influenza we have a. disease where more than one casual factor is at work. What exactly is responsible for the extraordinary virulence of the disease which has spread over a large part of the world is not certainly known. But one prevailing , complication of paramount importance is acute pneumonia.. The vaccine which is being itsed for inoculation in Australia is therefore designed to counteract this, complication; The. bacteria which are commonly responsible for bronchial catarrh and for pneumonia, , besides a special microbe, which has been, discovered in a number of the earlier fatal enses of the present outbreak, are the ones which are being used. They are grown in large quantities, mixed in suitable proportions, killed, and injected in suitable doser; the first one small, the second stronger, and 1 the object is to render the body immune against infection, or if not completely .immune at least so f'\t protected as to b? able to weather the storm.

As to results—the evidence ic Tiot vet sufficient to express a final judgment, but those medical men with most rxperi"uw . of. this epidemic agree that the greatest danger, is due to n. very virulent •-cute pneumonia; that of the ca«s of this tvnn very few have been inoculated; and •Hint in per.«m« who have been inocnrlnted the disease if it occur at. nil k■\iKuall.v comparatively mild, with little tP"''"'""' to mieiiniini(<.

One tiling is certain, that in no circumstances can inoculation set up influenza; for the vaccine used is dead. made, up of 'jjerrns killed by a disinfectant, and incapable of transmitting any infection..

How Dead Bacteria Operate. The practice of life-snvintr in a swimi mini? bath is usually taught by means jof dummies, which the swimmer must J learn to handle properly before beinjr I able to deal with a nerson in danger of j drowning. This analogy will serve to illustrate what happens'when a person is I inoculated with dead bacteria in a vaci cine. The white cells of the Wood, ai'd I the blood si>nim, are riven the task of removing and neutralising these dead nerms'; they are unused to them, and indeed very averse from tackling such fearsome opponent.', but.becoming bolder in a day or two they bedn to cone successfully with these (lend foes. ,Th'e bac- . twin' arc dead, but still sufficiently un- '■ pleasant to call nut all the skill and strategy of the. defending blood cells. , What is important is that this skill once obtained by practice on dead germs is retained for n. neriod of weeks or months, nnd is available should living germs of . the same disease attempt to invade the body in real earnest. Such a. means of protection is reasonable, safe, and effective, It only remains for all those persons threatened with an attack of such a serious and highly fatal disease to take this ofivious and simple, measure to lessen fhe risk. . I ■ .

I The original members of the H.B. Mounted Tiifle Volunteers, of which Major General Sir Andrew Russell, _ K.C.8., K.C.M.G., who is shortly returning home, was the commanding officer, are making ! arrangements for a fitting reception to their late 0.C., who has done so well for i the British Empire in the present war. Great enthusiasm prevails (says the "Tribune"), and the old members rolled up to a Tecent meeting of the squadron from scattered parts of the district, there being between 40 and 50 present, whilst several apologies for unavoidable absence were received. The feeling of tho meeting was that a reception should be organised which -would be worthy of so distinguished an officer and oommensur. ; ate with the service he has rendered. An active and enthusiastic committee -wae formed to frame a scheme and report I back to the meeting.