HOMO MILITANS 



food products in various communities in the neighbourhood of Padua 

 resulted in a systematic investigation by several Italian scientists, 

 among whom Bizio was the first convincingly to show that the pig- 

 ment production was the result of the growth of a minute plant-like 

 organism. Since that time the appearance of the 'miracle bacterium' 

 has been virtually eliminated from the realm of superstition. 



The history of this organism shows that a microbe may also exert 

 a mental influence on man that should not be underrated. That this is 

 equally true for pathogenic germs, and that consequently they can 

 leave a lasting imprint on the individual psyche, besides causing the 

 mass effects mentioned earlier, will be understood by any one who has 

 taken notice of Albert Camus' exciting book, 'The Plague', which has 

 rightly attracted a great deal of attention among the post-war French 

 literary accomplishment. It must, of course, be kept in mind that here 

 we enter the realm of fiction, and that Camus' description of the 

 plague epidemic and its effects can be severely criticized as far as the 

 medical and hygienic implications are concerned. This, however, does 

 not detract from the literary merits of the book, particularly because 

 the author leaves open the possibility that we should interpret his 

 description of life in a city beleaguered by plague, and closed off from 

 communication with the rest of the world, as a transposition of life 

 in a region groaning under the yoke and terror of foreign occupation. 

 Nevertheless, the reactions of Camus' characters to a perpetual and 

 inescapable threat to life seem so completely acceptable that there is 

 every reason to conclude that similar mental reactions will be expe- 

 rienced during real epidemics. 



Approaching the end of my discourse it can no longer be denied that 

 an element of deception has crept into the choice of the title of my 

 lecture. It is true that I have had an opportunity to stress the notion 

 that in human history Homo militans plays an increasingly large role 

 in the incessant combat with extra-human forms of life. But I have 

 failed to speak of this type of man, and of the incentives that 

 guide him in his struggle. A profound analysis of the life histories of 

 those who have fought or are fighting in the front ranks might open 

 up important vistas. This I shall not attempt; I shall restrict myself to 

 a few disconnected remarks. 



Certain it is that we may encounter Homo militans in a great diver- 



!':; 



