LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. "CIVIS," THE ORACLE, AND VACCINATION. SURBAN WATER SUPPLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15822, 22 July 1913, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

"CIVIS," THE ORACLE, AND VACCINATION.

SURBAN WATER SUPPLY.

Sib,—ln the column you dedicate to Passing Notes "Civifi " is tilting at me, and I wish you to give mo a "square deal" — afford me the necessary space in order that •' (Jivis" may bo enlightened as to how, by a process styled vaccination, a person becomes immune to smallpox. The solution of the question is so simple that anyone of ordinary intellect 6hould be able to grasp tho whole thing, and to feel _at last' he understands clearly what has hitherto been a mystery. .By way of preamble, and to provo the absolute necessity that really exists for us all being " bossed" by experts, I will here quoto the expert testimony of Sir James Barr, M.D. LL.D., F.R.S.E., president of the British Medical Association, who, whilst lecturing recently before a division of the association, remarked: "You will find a whole series of diseases inexplicably mixed up under the same heading, or different nanjes applied to the same disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, infective arthritis, toxic arthritis, arthitis deformans, osteoarthritis, chronio rheumatism, rheumatic gout, indiscriminately applied to a variety of affections of the joints. Same doctors," ho said, " call this condition infective and others call it a toxio arthritis without offering any proof in' support of their contention." And to quote American authorities, our expert testimony, "Dooley" writes: "I ngree with yc intirely, says tli' profissor. I made lab'ratory experiments in an ir'n basin, with bichloride iv gool, which I will call soup-stock, an' coal tar, which I will call ir'n- filings. £ mixed th' two ever a hot gril, an' left in C cool place to harden. I thin packed it in ice, which I call glue, an' rock salt, wh ; ch I call fried eggs, an' obtained a dark, queer solution that i 6 a cure f'r freckles, which I will call antimony or doughnuts or any thing I blamed please." But now to our muttons. Side-chain theory"—a theory proposed by Professor yon Ehrlich as a chemical explanation _of "•immunity" phenomena. In brrof outlmo it is as follows: "Animal cells and bacteria are complex aggravations of molecules, which are themselves complex. Complex molecules react "\vifch one another through certain of their side chains, but only when these side-chains have a definite correspondence in structure (th's accounts for the specifio action of antitoxins). A receptor :s ail outlying part .of the cell which is ablo to combine, by means.of a so-called haptophorous group, with foreign molccules, as with a food molecule (thus helping to nourish the colli of with a toxin molecule. Such combination stimulates' the cells to produce, other receptore, and may at last result in overproduction, the superfluous receptors becoming detached from the ceU. The so-called immune bodies formed in immunizing processes are detached receptors and are called also "intermediary bodies, or amboceptors, because they have two haptophorous groups, and act as links to bind invading cells to the complements (also called addiments, alexins, cytaees) which are normally present, and which when so united to the foreign oells are able to destroy them bv means of a zymotic group or toxophone group. Tho amboceptor, with its complement constitutes a cytoloxin hemolysin or bacteriolysin. Other detached receptore _ act as antitoxins, as agglutins,' or precipitin. Toxins have a liaptophorous group (by which they combine) and a toxophorous group r.t which their injurious effects are due. A toxin which has lost its toxophorous group as by heating is called a toxoid. Similarly a complementoia is a complement which hes lost its croup to wlv'ch their injurious effects are due. The presence of a foreign cyfotoxin leads to the production of an antievtotoxin, which may act on the amboceptor or on tho complement anticomplement." ~ Now, Sir, "Civis" may make himself believe that he all the foregoing regarding the side-chain theory, but please ask him to read it again more cerefullv because he will find it nece&ary to go back over it a third time in order to clear up some uncertainties. After the third readins he will certainly believe in a haptophorous hiatus. ■ _ .. , It is said that when Professor von Ehrl'ch had given birth to this monstrosity his wile sat lilm down upon a large cake of ice and wrapped his overstrained calvarium in cloths wrung from boiling water in order to' prevent the amboceptoids from hemolising the receptors, and therebv immunizing the preeipit'is. She succeeded, and through you. Sir, I take leave to suggest that, 6ix days after '' Civh" submits to the vaccination fetish. Mrs "Civis" puts him through the same opent'on, so that he mav feel that ho has a liaptophorous crroup within hia parenchyma. "What Vo'ta're 6iid about official medicine may be held over for the present.—l am, etc., D. Wish ART. July 19.

[We insert the above because our correspondent orobably imagines that he would bo' denied' " a square deal " if it wore not inserted, but wo cannot undertake to burden our columns with any other communications of a like nature.-Ed. 0.D.T.l

Sir, —Tho figures in respect to tba suburban water supply, published in your issue of the 17th inat. by tho chairman of tho Water Committee of the City Council, are very interesting, but do not go quite far enough. I would thorefore ask thai gentleman to supply, through the medium of youv journal, figures showing the position in which Maori Hill would stand, iq comparison with the other suburbs, if that borough had itself carried out its own reticulation instead of allowing tho city to do so. Most of the residents of Maori Hill have been under the impression the borough made a good bargain when it entered into tho agreement with the city in respect to its water supply, but I ha' ma doots aboot it.—l am, etc., Aqua.