The Fundamentals of BacteriologyMorrey, Charles Bradfield
Science
The Fundamentals of Bacteriology
Morrey, Charles Bradfield
Bacteriology
Immunity may be considered with reference to a single individual or to
entire divisions of the organic world, with all grades between. Thus
plants are immune to the diseases affecting animals; invertebrates to
vertebrate diseases; cold-blooded animals to those of warm blood; man
is immune to most of the diseases affecting other mammals; the rat to
anthrax, which affects other rodents and most mammals; the well-known
race of Algerian sheep is likewise immune to anthrax while other sheep
are susceptible; the negro appears more resistant to yellow fever than
the white; some few individuals in a herd of hogs always escape an
epizoötic of hog cholera, etc.
Immunity within a given species is modified by a number of
factors--age, state of nutrition, extremes of heat or cold, fatigue,
excesses of any kind, in fact, anything which tends to lower the
“normal healthy tone” of an animal also tends to lower its resistance.
Children appear more susceptible to scarlet fever, measles,
whooping-cough, etc., than adults; young cattle more frequently have
black-leg than older ones (these apparently greater susceptibilities
may be due in part to the fact that most of the older individuals
have had the diseases when young and are immune for this reason).
Animals weakened by hunger or thirst succumb to infection more readily.
Frogs and chickens are immune to tetanus, but if the former be put
in water and warmed up to and kept, at about 37°, and the latter be
chilled for several hours in ice-water, then each may be infected.
Pneumonia frequently follows exposure to cold. The immune rat may
be given anthrax if first he is made to run in a “squirrel cage”
until exhausted. Alcoholics are far less resistant to infection than
temperate individuals. “Worry,” mental anguish, tend to predispose to
infection.
The following outlines summarize the different, classifications of
immunity so far as mammals are concerned for the purposes of discussion.
Immunity.
{ {1. Inherited through
{ { the germ cell or cells.
{ { {(_a_) By having the
{A. Congenital {2. Acquired { disease _in utero_.
I. Natural { { _in utero_. {(_b_) By absorption
{ { { of immune
{ { substances
{B. Acquired by { from the mother.
{ having the disease.
II. Artificial--acquired through human agency by:
1. Introduction of the organism or its products.
2. Introduction of the blood serum of an immune animal.
Immunity.
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