124 APPLICATION OF METHOD IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 



of the host, which seriously affect the metabolism 

 of the latter. It is certainly not necessary in 

 every case that the poisonous substance, the so- 

 called toxin, should originate in the cell of the 

 micro-organism itself; it is just as likely that it is 

 formed, outside the cell, by ferments given off by the 

 latter. When we introduce substances out of har- 

 mony with the species or the plasma, we have 

 similarly to reckon with the presence of stages of 

 decomposition, which may be disharmonious with the 

 organism, and capable of producing injurious effects. 

 In this case the disharmonious substrate is the 

 cause of the appearance of a substance, that is dis- 

 harmonious both in structure and configuration. In 

 cases of invasion by bacteria, we have, on the 

 contrary, a destruction of generally harmonious sub- 

 stances, yet the decomposition is brought about by 

 ferments which are probably of a different kind. The 

 cause of the appearance of disharmonious decompo- 

 sites is thus to be explained, not by the substrate, but 

 by the nature of the ferments. It is possible that, in 

 time, we may succeed in tracking down in the organ- 

 ism these ferment-like agents that are given off by 

 parasites. For the time being we must be satisfied 

 with being able to point to the possibility of a decom- 

 position of this kind being a cause of injury. 



Disharmonious cells may also act injuriously upon 

 the organism, owing to their decomposition inside the 



