APPLICATION OF METHOD IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 125 



body. The death of a cell of this kind results in the 

 appearance, within the circulation, of substances which 

 are disharmonious. We can make a comparison be- 

 tween a case of this kind and the parenteral injection 

 of substances out of harmony with the body and the 

 plasma ; for, in this case, the organism will surely 

 defend itself against the very disharmonious sub- 

 strate, by depriving the substrate of its specific struc- 

 ture by means of an extensive decomposition. We 

 should then be presented with conditions entirely 

 analogous with the parenteral injection of various 

 substances, or with the invasion, into the circulation, 

 .of chorionic cells which are out of harmony with the 

 blood plasma, and the resulting reaction would be 

 entirely similar. But here, too, during decompo- 

 sition, it may happen that the organism will produce 

 decomposites which are naturally injurious, so that, 

 in any given case, it would mainly depend on whether 

 the intermediate products appeared only in small 

 quantities and were promptly reduced, or whether, 

 conversely, the power of decomposition possessed by 

 the organism is inhibited either because the decom- 

 posites cannot be further reduced or be rejected, or 

 because the ferments necessary for further reduction 

 are not present in sufficient quantity. We can well 

 imagine that the decomposition of the bodies of dead 

 micro-organisms, without the direct participation of 

 the microbes themselves, will give rise to various 



