Prolongation of Life Optimistic Studies

by Élie Metchnikoff

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Genres: Health, Science

343 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1906

About the author

Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov (Russian: Илья Ильич Мечников; 15 May [O.S. 3 May] 1845 – 15 July 1916), also spelled Élie Metchnikoff, was a Russian and French zoologist of Romanian noble ancestry[4] and Ukrainian Jewish origin best known for his pioneering research in immunology. He and Paul Ehrlich were jointly awarded the 1908 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "in recognition of their work on immunity". He was born, lived, and worked for many years on the territory of the Russian Empire. Given this complex heritage, four different nations and peoples justifiably lay claim to Metchnikoff.

Awards
Copley Medal (1906)
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1908)
Albert Medal (1916)


Honored as the "father of innate immunity," Metchnikoff was the first to discover a process of immunity called phagocytosis and the cell responsible for it, called phagocyte, specifically macrophage, in 1882. This discovery turned out to be the major defense mechanism in innate immunity, as well as the foundation of the concept of cell-mediated immunity, while Ehrlich established the concept of humoral immunity to complete the principles of immune system. Their works are regarded as the foundation of the science of immunology.

Metchnikoff developed one of the earliest concepts in ageing and advocated the use of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus) for healthy and long life. This became the concept of probiotics in medicine. Metchnikoff is also credited with coining the term gerontology in 1903, for the emerging study of aging and longevity. In this regard, Ilya Metchnikoff is called the "father of gerontology" (although, as often happens in science, the situation is ambiguous, and the same title is sometimes applied to some other people who contributed to aging research later).

Supporters of life extension celebrate 15 May as Metchnikoff Day, and used it as a memorable date for organizing activities.

Reviews

[Roberto Bovina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The message is, the large intestine is useless for our health, indeed, we can live without it. The author was convinced about the power of drinks like yogurt and kefir, containing acid lactic bacteria, for long life, preventing putrefaction inside the large intestine. "The fact that so many races make sour milk and use it copiously is an excellent testimony to its usefulness".
"Raw milk contains a large assortment of microbes, and frequently some of these are harmful".
"Human senescence is the result of a slow but chronic poisoning of the organism".
Metchnikoff was largely criticized for his theory on longevity, and for the analogy between the human's intestine, source of diseases hence useless, and that of other animals like birds and horse. "Absence of putrefaction in the intestine is probably the reason for the great longevity of such birds as parrots, ravens, and their allies". For this kind of sentence, he was ridiculed by other thinkers. Furthermore, his idea about yogurt as a means to reach a long age was completely wrong, even though today has become a fad all around the world, probably thanks to him.
The interesting part of the book is where he tells various stories of people who lived for more than a century. "...centenarian have been people who were poor, or in humble circumstances, and whose life has been extremely simple... poverty generally brings with it sobriety, especially in old age".
Suggestions for the prolongation of life: "the prolongation of life which has come to pass in recent centuries must certainly be attributed to the advance of hygiene" ... "improvement in cleanliness and in the general conditions have contributed largely to the prolongation of life. It is now a long time since Liebig said that the amount of soap used could be taken as a measure of the degree of civilization of a people. As a matter of fact, cleanliness of the body brought about in the most simple way, by washing with soap, has had a most important effect in lessening disease and mortality from disease".