to thrive in the deeper tissues — the tonsils, adenoids, mucous 24^ 

 and sebaceous glands, hair follicles, etc. 



The parasite must be possessed of ferments which will 

 enable it to utilize the sources of carbon and nitrogen fur- 

 nished by the host, and it must have a type of respiration, or 

 acquire it through adaptation, which will enable it to survive 

 in the relatively low tension of oxygen found in the tissues. 

 It must find its food substances in solution or be able to pro- 

 duce chemical changes which will bring about a solution of 

 the tissue; for under normal conditions the cells of the host 

 . . . contain little or no free water. That bacteria cannot 

 utilize body colloids unless in liquid form can be shown by 

 growing them in a nutrient solution containing increasing 

 quantities of a colloid capable of binding water, such as agar- 

 agar — the rate of growth being in inverse ratio to the con- 

 centration of the agar-agar. Injury of healthy tissue resulting 

 in local edema furnishes food in solution and hence a favor- 

 able place for the growth of bacteria, even the saprophytic. 



From such theoretical backgrounds, Wherry divided what 

 might be the cure-bringing methods of the doctor into 

 such as prevented trouble and those best suited to meet 

 it afterwards. Under the former lay soap- and- water clean- 

 liness, the immediate sterilization of injured areas (here 

 Wherry emphasized the employment of those death- dealing 

 substances, which while killers of the infection did not simul- 

 taneously kill the cells of man, namely, the dyes), the imme- 

 diate reduction of swelling (since it shut the air off the 

 invading organisms to allow their better growth) and the 

 removal of established bacterial nests (as in the tonsils and 

 teeth) . Under the latter lay immunization against infection. 

 The external skins of his human "cylinder" should be made 

 immune, and this immunity then be carried clear through. 

 Take the water out of every injured spot, be it superficial or 

 deep, to make mere life hard for the microorganisms; and 

 then build up the host's total resistance. Phagocytic immunity 

 "might be aided by passive immunization" (the injection of 

 "antibodies" earned by another host — as the diphtheria anti- 

 toxine produced by a horse) ; but an active immunity earned 

 by efforts of the host himself was better. To this end Wherry 

 advised the injection of "suitably prepared antigens." 



