METCHNIKOFF VINDICATED.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 5 December 1927, Page 8

METCHNIKOFF VINDICATED.

The famous Russian physiologist and savant, Elie Metchnikoff, was for many years director of the Pasteur In stitute in Paris. He received in 1908 the Nobel Prize for medical research. His theory of disease —that it originated in the colon, or large intestine in tho majority of cases, and that autoxima (intestinal toxameia) or selfpoisoning through intorestinal obstruction, was responsible for most of the ills to which mortal flesh is heir, even senility—had, at the time, a tremendous vogue.

Then it was proved the remedy h« advocated (the once-fashionabie ‘sour milk’ treatment) was for all practical purposes ineffectual, doing no harm certainly, but no particular good either. Immediately, Metchnikoff’s ‘cure’ underwent a popular ovjipsu and the inevitable rc-action swept the colonic thory of disease away with it. So, it remained for other investigators to follow in his footsteps and prove that his theories were soundly based even though the conclusion s he drew from them might be chimerical.

later experimental work, that persistent scientific examinatio'n into the nature of life and disease umiinotioual, and therefore uninteresting to the popular mind, which is always proceeding, pointed irresistibly to the colon again. In June, 1914, a definite conclusion was reached, and several new conceptions formulated. They were to be emphasised recently in a speech which was cabled all over the civilised world. The spoaher was Sir Arbuthnot Lane, who is acknowledged to be the greatest living master of surgery.

Then came the madness of war. A stop was put to all research not intimately connected with the business of warfare and the announcement that was of so vital an importance to the whole of mankind postponed for rlx long years. Actually, the discovery of coloscptic, though dating from before tho war, was publicly announced in 1921. Primarily originated as a safe and harmless prophylactic of the colon, it has been declared to be a positive cure for autoxima. Once more the colon occupies its former pedestal as the Achiles' heel of the human body. But, this time, doctors believe, a scientific remedy for colon obstruction without unpleasant complications has been found.

Sir Arbuthnot Lane, speaking at a luncheon party tendered to him by a group of the moat prominent physicians and surgeons in New York, said: “Most of the disease with which civilisation is afflicted arises from in testinal toxaemia, and the chief purpose of the new association to bo formed in London called tho New Health Society, will bn to educate the people in the methods of preventing chronic intestinal stasis, which means menacing civilisation.” Intestinal stasis, is. of course, constipation. Thus was MetcKnikoff. who died in 1916 vindicated.