Il8 APPLICATION OF METHOD IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 



decreased pressure, for all kinds of experiments on 

 animals. It is a pity that hardly any investigations 

 have been made in this direction. 



Once we have demonstrated the existence of fer- 

 ments directed against particular micro-organisms, 

 then the question naturally arises, what influence is 

 attributable to the defensive ferments in a special case. 

 They may act defensively. But it is also possible 

 that it is they which first produce the poisonous 

 substances, when decomposing disharmonious 

 material. The ferment is unable to ' know what 

 will be the result, when it breaks down a particular 

 substrate. It may be that the attacked substrate is 

 quite harmless to the organism, and that injurious 

 substances first appear during decomposition. 



If further researches show that the organism 

 defends itself successfully by means of definite 

 ferments, then a road is marked out for therapy to 

 follow. By the direct addition of the necessary 

 micro-organisms, or of certain parts of them, we shall 

 produce defensive ferments which are directed against 

 them, and try to transmit these with the serum. We 

 can determine, exactly, the moment when the defen- 

 sive ferments appear. A particularly fine basis for 

 experiments seems to be supplied by thromboses, 

 which one mi Hit be able to attack effectively by 



<T5 - */ 



means of properly directed ferments, and so bring 

 about their absorption. 



