Vol. 60, 1909 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

EDITORIAL. 393
decrease of urinary indoxyl in case of an opportunities roR sainit/\ri^>«.
occlusion of the pancreatic duct. Clinical The present recognition of the value of
experiments and observations have demon- prevention is attested by the public attendstrated
that 111 the majority of instances of ance at tuberculosis exhibits and by the
so-called indiconuna there is insufficiency hearty co-operation by editorial boards of
tryplic function—and, consequently, ab- lay periodicals in accepting- articles upon
normal putrefactive processes and the aug- the progress of medicine. The public do
mentation of intestinal bacterial flora, not attend meetings in the tuberculosis
While it is possible that an indicanuria campaign. merely from curios'.iv or because
may occur with a process like pyorrhea of inexpensiveness to themselves, but bealveolaris,
and while it is even possible that cause they believe the work has a vital inintestinal
putrefaction may stand fiuence upon their lives and the lives of
in some more or less remote relationship to their friends, and that it concerns their per-
1 perverse
the condition, there is no reason whatever sonal interest. The people are I ready to acin
maintaining- that indoxyl, one of the ac- cept such teachings as are brought forcibly
cidental products of such putrefaction, is before them. This willingness to learn is
the true causative agent. Pvorrhea alveo- proved by the confidence held by editors
laris is ail exceedingly chronic and I progres- toward their readers. More from a sense
1 si ve affection: indicanuria, on the other of public demand rather than a willingness
hand, is essentially acute, or at least, a to become public benefactors do editors ac-
j
limited occurrence. It is scarcely possible cept proffered articles upon hygienic sub-
I
that the rather ephemeral indicanuria will jects. It is a common ! occurrence to see
^fi^iverise to the enduring pyorrhea. The articles upon preventive medicine classed
same contension holds good with all other in the magazines as of equal importance to
I affections which at one time or another those upon political, engineering, industrial,
j
I
have been accused of having indoxyl as or governmental .subjects. By publishing
their causative factor. The indoxyl com- these articles the editors are doing a worldpounds
are not toxic in themselves, they good. For this needed assistance in the
are of more or less accidental occurrence, work for which it labors the profession is
and may point to an occlusion of the small grateful. Yet with the publication of more
intestine with a secruase of tryptic function magazine articles, especially lay-written,
and an increase of bacterial activity. Kv- the public will universally be taught that
er\thing else belongs to the realm of spec- in other communities, if not their own. the
ulatioii. Indoxyl occurs not only in the
urine of carniverous hut also in that of
herbiverous animals. As a matterof fact.
practical application of hygienic principles
has saved many dollars and many lives.
Dr. II. B. Wood, in an article recently pubit
is present in the urine of some of the
herbivora in much larger quantities than
in any of the cariiivora. It occurs in enorlished
in the Iniv. of Penn. Med. Bui. thus
speaks of the dawning of a better day in
matters of health. He belie\eri the chief
mous amounts in the urine of the horse, reason for the scarcity of sanitarians is to
from which it is obtained for experimental
purposes. It may also be prepared from
be found in the fact that in the past there
has been little opportunity for work for
the urine of the dog, but, is purer when de- others than those having official connecrived
from horse's urine. In llie latter, it tions. And indeed the inducements have
is jjresent in larger proportion than in that been so little that many of those holding
of cattle. Tiie reason for this seems to be official civil positions were not able to acthe
large cecum of the horse which per.nits complish much or have cared little about
additional and more complete disintegration the development of the work, and hence
Of the ingested material, Indoxyl does not the sanitary conditions of the country have
occur in the urine of the rabbit, as a general
rule, but Stern found it therein in the
suffered. Often owing to their official po-
sitions, many of the present sanitarians are
presence of artificially induced obstipation, not able to give the directions which are
While indoxyl appears in the urine in apt to be wanted; being limited in influence
larger amounts after a diet rich in animal by the laws which define their authority,
food, it never attains pathologically that in many cases they cannot direct in all
proportion in the human being which is lines.
normally present in the urine of the hor.se That there is a growing demand for civil
This, he suggests, is evidence that animal sanitarians, or whatever they may be term-
'ood and the ensuing putrefactive processes ed, there cm be uo doubt. At present,
irenot
practically all medical
the only source of indoxvl commen
who have fol-
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, , ,
, , .
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rounds and that vegetable ingesta and ferneiitHt
ion processes innv •;>• il-;p ir. In.lilowed
that bent are government officials in
j,,^ p^j^^j^ j^^^,,,, ^„^^ ^,,,^i„g Hospital
Service, occupy official positions in a com-
:an production. mon-wealth or municipality, or belong to