The Daily News. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1900. THE DREAM OF A LENGTHENED LIFE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 37, 15 February 1900, Page 2

The Daily News. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1900. THE DREAM OF A LENGTHENED LIFE.

.Amongst the many inventions that men have in all ages sought out none so far have resulted in the prolonging of human life beyond the normal limits lived to by those of healthy constitutions. No doubt the " three score years and ten " have been outlined by thousands of persons, but this has been due to natural causes and not to special means. Now and again, some scientist or philosopher who has perhaps devoted a whole life-time to the fascinating search after some chemical or other method of keeping the grim spectre with the sickle at bay startles the world with the announcement that he I has at last found the object of his search, and aged frames tremble under the exciting hope of an approaching rejuvenescence, while the young dream dreams of immortality. But these inventors or discoverers go the way of all flesh, and the hopes Shey raised perish with them, as do also all who pinned their faith to them. But this by no means retards the search. Some few years ago a certain Frenchman, Professor Brown-Sequard by name, after experimenting with the vital juices of guinea-pigs, shouted Eureka! and people wondered whether at last the search had been successful. The Professor's theory soon had its days, while the inventor only survived it by a very few years. Lately the celebrated Pasteur institute has been making a series of experiments, and according to the Paris correspon--1 dent of the Morning Post this institute has just made one of the greatest discoveries of modern science, as a result of which, when the last details have been settled, the point of abolishing most of the defects of old age, and, consequently, of prolonging life, will have been reached. Professor Metchnikoff, director of one of the sections of the institute, is now engaged in seeking the accurate doses of a lymph, or, rather, of a series of lymphs, each of which willrejjivenatea particular organ of the human body. Profeisor MetchnikofFs experiments show that the explanation of senile atrophy hitherto obtaining is erroneous. The theory was that certain blood cells devoured others when the vital functions began to weaken. The organic poisons thrown off energetically in youth were believed to remain in the system in old age, or at least to be less energetically ejected, and to poison the finer cells while without action on those of the conjunctive tissues. The noble cells died and became the prey of the other or plebeian cells, thus bringing about the atrophy of the organ where the metamorphosis took place. This explanation is erroneous. Professor Metchnikoff has discovered and proved conclusively that the noble cells are not dead in organs atrophied by senility, and, moreover, that they may be multiplied. By assisting them in their struggle with the plebeian cells they will continue to live as actively as in youth. Theoretically the organism will cease to grow old, and in practice life will be prolonged. Professor Metchnikoff has found the means of affording this very desirable assistance, and the results already obtained are most extraordinary. This is how the discovery was made: —

Among Professor Metchnikoff's pupils is M. Bordet, who last year published in the Annates de i'lnstitut Pasteur the results of a "curious experiment he had made. M. Bordet had injected the blood of a rabbit into a guinea-pig. Some time later he injected the blood of this guinea-pig into a rabbit. The rabbit died. Professor Metchnikoft sought the causes of this phenomenon, and soon became convinced that the blood of the guinea-pig injected into a rabbit or other vertebr.ite animal elaborates a poison that weakens the red globules of the blood, and makes them the prey of the phagocytes. Under the microscope one can see how the white globules devour the red and digest them. If one places the non-trans-parent ordinary blood of a rabbit in a glass tube, and adds afterwards some of tbe guinea-pig's blood, before long the rabbit's blood becomes transparent, taking the colour of Bordeaux wine. Starting from the fact that the poison elaborated in the guinea pig is fatal in large doses, Professor Metchnikoft' argued that its action in small doses must be stimulating. Thereon is based fcho action of all medicines like strychnine, arsenic, and so forth. Professor Metchnikoft', therefore, began to inject into rabbits feeble solutions of previously injected guinea-pig's blood. The cubic millimetre of biood in the rabbits thus treated contained, before the injections, 3,000,000 red globules. In three or four days that number increased to 8,000,000. A sovereign remedy against anaemia had been discovered, and Professor Metchmkoli' 'ss theory concerning the red globules had been confirmed, liis entire section at the Pasteur institute is now working to find the specific serums for each particular organ. If the blood seruui acts on the red globu'es, the liver serum must produce similar effects or. the cells of the liver, tha,t

of the brain on the brain, and so onNaturally, the report of this discovery ' was with a considerable amount of scepticism, though coming as it did from such a famous and reputable source as the Pasteur Institute. It is exciting the attention of physiological experts, and is bound to ba regarded with v critical interest by the medical faculty the whole world over, and especially by the members of the profession in Prance. One of the latter, Dr. Polaillon, of the Acad6mie de Midecine, when he was informed of the discovery, was inclined to be sceptical. "We must see, we must see," he said. " After all, however, it is not impossible," he added. " Organic creatures ought to live ten times as long as it takes them to reach maturity." Elephants, according to Dr. Polaillon, are full grown in 30 years and live 300 years, and there are many other examples. Man on the same principle should live 250 years, but he comes to a premature end owing to the conditions of life. Two and a half centuries yould be rather a long extension of the allotted span, but there is no reason why human life should not be materially prolonged by scientific discoveries. Horses, which by the same rule ought to live 30 years, are, he added in reply to an objection, in the same condition as man. The sun of the nineteenth century is setting amidst the splendours of scientific discoveries such as no other century has even dreamt of, but if the new century sees the prolonging of life in the marvellous manner indicated in the foregoing, this wonder will bid fair to eclipse all others yet in sight.