ALCOHOL IN RELATION TO MICROBIAL DISEASES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2308, 26 May 1898, Page 48

ALCOHOL IN RELATION TO MICROBIAL DISEASES.

The effect of alcohol on the artificial production of immunity in animalsin regard to rabies, tetanus, and anthrax^ has been recently studied by Dt Delearde. It has been frequently observed that persons addicted to alcohol suffer, as a rule, far more severely from the effects of microbial infections than normal individuals, and not loDg Ego, in 1896, Abbot, of Philadelphia, showed that pathogenic bacteria, incapable of killing healthy animals, were able to produce fatal results in animals intoxicated with alcohol. ' This was found to be the case with the B. coli communis, the staphjlococcus, and the* streptococcus. Dr Dclearde has turned hia ] attention. to tjile effect produced by alcohol on the artificial prevention of disease in animals ; and, considering the great importance of the subject, it is to be regretted that hia conclusions are, drawn .from so fsw experiments. -~;lt.ap'peais that a rabbit vaccinated againsV rabies; atsd ;then given considerable quantities ,t if alcohol (introduced into !the K O33ophagtw " by meaas of artube) for several "weeks, and' subsequently inoculated, with fresh rabid virus, did oofc succumb to rabies, whilstiNano^hST rabbit treated similarly, only omitting tjiu doses of alcohol, died of rabies. In this c.isfe the alcohol had apparently preserved the animal's immunity to rabies. On the otbet band, a rabbit dosed with alcohol during the course of the anti-rabic inoculation obtained absolutely no immunity from rabies ; whilst a rabbit, first of all Intoxicated and then vaccinated, acquired immunity to rabies as long as the supply of alcohol was stopped as soon as the vaccinations were commenced. la the case of \ tetanus, however, if the anti-tetanic inocula- i tioos were succeeded by the administration | of alcohol, the animal lost all its artificially acquired immunity to the disease, and invariably succumbed to tetanus infection ; again, if treated with alcohol during the vaccinations, it only acquired immunity to tetanus v/ith difficulty, and if first of all intoxicated and then vaccinated, the animal obtained immunity as long as the supply of alcohol cssssd when the vaccinations began. As regards anthraz, it is almost impossible, it appears, to piotcct animals from this disease if they are treated with alcohol during the vaccination period. Oa the other hand, animals first intoxicated and then vaccinated can acquire immunity providing, as in the other cases mentioned above, the alcohol is stopped as soon as tha vaccinations are commetsced, but they saffer considers b3y mors duricg the process than animals which have *no alcohol. The .experimental, results obtained with rabiesibear out the observations which have been made with regard to intemperate perEons and the anti-rabic treatment in various Pasteur institutes, and a very striking instance of the ineffectuality of the treatment in such r case was recorded -only this year. A habitual drunkard was bitten by a mad dog, aa was also a child by the same deg; both underwent precisely the satne antirabic treatment. The man during the whole time continued to drink to excess, and subsequently died of rabies, whilst the chiid remained perfectly well. In the case of the. administration of anti-toxins it would appear therefore highly desirable that at least during the vaccinations alcohol should be prohibited . — Nature.

THE STRONGEST LlVIKtt BEING. BUT IT'S SO SMALL YOU CANT BISE IT. It seems absurd to say that the most powerful living thing is neither an elephant nor a whale, but the tiniest little vegetable body that has yet been discoverecL " Bat for all that this is an undoubted fact ; and scientists admit that, while we can eas'ly master the fiercest and strongest animals on the earth, they are the slaves of fche microbe.

Of course, the microbe's strength lies in numbers. Individually he is an insignificant little wretch* The typhoid bacillus, for instance, which has killed over 1800 j>eople in Maidstone, is only one-twelve-thousandth of an inch long. If an array of five millions of them came sailing along on the wind, they could get into your mouth and pass down your throat without you either seeing them, hearing them, tasting them, smelling them, 01 . feeling them. The consumption microbes are still smaller. Suppose you wanted to fill a wineglass with them, you would require 561,000,000.000,000, or 374,000 times as many microbes as there are human beings in tas whole world. Yet this littja wit«

kills more people every year than have been slain in all the battles that ever were fought !

It must be admitted that the microbe go2< about his work with the greatest determination and intelligence. The typhoid bacillus knows that there is not the least use in getting into arrf body's lungs, because that locality, or anywhere else except' the intestine, doesn't suit his constitution. So when he arrives in any part of the country, he doesn't waste time flitting about in ".he air,, but makes straight for the nearest well or reservoir or milk pail. Once there he knows he has not long to wait before finding himself comfortably setlled in some unfortunate person's body. He therefore sets about increasing his numbers, for he is quite well aware that hs may have a stiff battle to fight before the day is out. So- quickly does he multiply, that^when the milk copies to "be^drurik the one microbe Tias increased to hundreds df millions. Supppge you . drink a glass of milk, you- probably swallow

SEVERAL MILLION DEADLY MICROBES

But fortunately, although you no nothing about the dangerous dose you have taken., the microbes haven't matters all their own way. They moment, they enter your mouth they pass down your throat, and when they get to the stomach , they are set upon by other microbes which are already in your body ; and Waterloo was nothing to the fierce and determined Avar that is waged in joxiv inside. Besides, whatever portion of the invading force pur- ' vrves is attacked by an antiseptic fluid always kept on hand for that piirpose. And the chances are that the enemy is by this time utterly annihilated. This, in fact, is the manner in which 'so many people

escape the epidemic. But when the inyad.- J ing force 'is Tar^e, and the antiseptic jfjaid s j present in very small quantity,-^' considei • ', ' able number of the microbes escape destruc- J "tion,; -pass on;-into the intestines, " and , then j they have high jinks. %' * The chauces-'are^-that; only - a 'few .thousands have survived,- '~and their effect pnyour-' system is -so-, slight that *y pu do * not feel any 'uneasiness.- ; But they ' X , 'TfUiiTIPLT AND afTTLTrPLT A£L THE TIME,

| eating- you-up, and at- the end of a few days 'they swarm in hundreds of thousands of millions. Then you begin to feel' vague' v uneasy, , gradually getting v/orse as they increase, until about 10 or 12 days after ihs invasion the microbes are •working sucia

havoc that you give in and- go to bed, and cali in the doctor. Thence onward, for tlirp.e or four, or often six weeks, they Loss the situation. What precisely they aie doing nobody knows. But if it were possible to take a peep, inside you would probably see an astonishing sight. Anyhow, the microbes must have a remarkably good tarn during those few weeks, for at the end of the time you are a mere skeleton — if you are not a corpse, — while they have simply feasted themselves all to death. It need hardly be said that all microbes do. not act in the same way as the typhoid ' bacilli. Each different species has its own code of life, and acts up to it in whatever part of the world ?t may happen to be. This gives an interesting variety to our ailments. And infinitesimal as they all are, they are most fastidious as to their diet and lodging. Then some' of' them work as if they were always trying to break. a, record, whi'e others take things in "the most leisurely manner. ,'-, , -As regards activity, for ""instance, the cholera, bacillus can't ,. be .beaten. He does not take- -10 or' 15 days, -like 'the' typhoid joker, to make you aware of his presence. If you swallow a dozen cholera microbes at 9 a.m., timy will be billions at. noon, and they may have killed you before 3 in thu afternoon. THE BACILLUS OF TETANUS 08. HYDROPHOBIA, on the other hand, may lie low somewhere in your body for a whole year, but then he becomes active with a vengeance. But perhaps the slowest and quietest working of the whole race is the consumption bacillus, which takes years to give you your ouietus, and then it docs it so gently {bat you are, or ought to be, the envy of all the othsr pooi human wretches who go out of the world through fevers and violence. As to the likings and aversions of the microbes, they are very curious. The typhoid bacillus turns up his nose at anything less than man, and he has never been known to attack the lower animals. The bacillus of malaria is " not alone above touching fche animals, but he does not at all relish negro. What he delights in is white man, and he never loses an opportunity of indulging his desire. The microbe of nasal catarrh doesn't pay any attention to colour, but he infinitely prefers men's noses to women's. The microbes of measles, diphtheria, scarlatina, and croup have a positive dislike for elderly people, but they cannot pass a child without attacking it. Everyone knows what a great difference there is between one person and another in the matter of getting a wound healed. This is simply a case of greater oi Jess preference for various people by tv«

little globular microbe that causes suppuration. In spite of his diminutive size, and of the fact that he is the lovrest form of plantlife, the microbe is, perhaps, the moac wonderful, as he certainly is the most powerful, of Rod's creatures. — Answers.