30 MICRO-ORGANISMS AS PARASITES. 



upon diseased lungs. The system is braced up with as much 

 nourishing food as the patient can digest, and the giant-cells are 

 strengthened as much as possible for their battle with the enemy. 

 Under the old system, the poor victim of phthisis breathed 

 constantly a warm, close, spore-laden air, whilst lowering medicines 

 were employed to help the progress of the disease as much as 

 possible. Yet, it is seriously asked whether medicine has made 

 any progress during the present century ! 



Not only do leucocytes attack and devour bacteria, but they 

 perform important duties in removing us.eless embryonic tissues. 

 In the process of absorption of the gills and tails of larval 

 Batrachians (frogs, newts, etc.), a large number of these cells are 

 present, the protoplasm of which is crowded with fibres and 

 fragments of muscle. The fraginents of muscle retain their 

 structure for some time after ingestion, but gradually break up 

 into rounded, strongly refracting globules. These experiments, 

 originally made by Metschnikoff, are confirmed by Mr. Bland 

 Sutton in every particular. We have ample proof, in even the 

 present state of our knowledge, that the air, the water, and the 

 earth, and also our own bodies, teem with micro-organisms. Of 

 these, however, comparatively few are pathogenic, and an immense 

 number are not only useful but necessary. Bacteria are very 

 quickly destroyed in the blood of warm-blooded animals (if not 

 pathogenic to the particular animal). Herr Wysskowitch has 

 found that in from 3 to 4I hours no traces were found of various 

 bacilli, and spores of fungi which had been ingested into the 

 blood ; these included the bacillus of typhus, the cholera bacillus, 

 and other pathogenic organisms. Herr Wysskowitch says, 

 " Between the endothelial cells and the bacteria there is a 

 constant warfare. Either the cells conquer and the bacteria 

 perish, or the cells are destroyed by the bacteria, which are of 

 course in this case pathogenic to the animal. Similar testimony 

 is given by Herr Ribhaet, in the Joiuiial of the R. Microscopical 

 Society for August. 



As I remarked at the beginning of this paper, we need no 

 longer feel we combat we know not what, and consequently 

 run less risk of aiding the enemy we seek to destroy, as must 

 ha\e been the case when repeated bleeding and starvation were 



