Wil 
98 ILLINOIS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 
between the truth and a theory or a fad, Medicine in its broad 
sense and Eddyism. 
Take one of the lowest and simplest forms of life found 
everywhere in some type or other in the water, in the slime, in 
the soil. The Amoeba—Geology claims it and even adds to it; 
the Zoologist follows with many forms and places; the Biolo- 
gist regards it as a simple type; the Botanist sees food for 
thought in its flow of protoplasm and its relationship to that 
monstrosity but wonderful ne’er do well, what is it and where 
is it “The Myxies”; the Chemist analyzes its chemical composi- 
tion and the physiologist regards it as a complex animal and 
wonders at its food supply and vacuole. The Histologist stains 
its Protoplasm, Spongioplasm and other structures and en- 
deavors to spot the nucleus. The Pathologist with his con- 
freres, the Physiologist and Histologist squabble over its amoe- 
boid movement and phagocytosis. The one that it is a Leu- 
cocyte or white blood cell, the other that it has a vicious habit 
and gets into the wrong environment, the intestines, liver or 
mouth. 
That it is a food source, the Bacteriologist not to be outdone, 
endeavors to horticultural it by adding soup, salts and drugs 
and claims it as a fine inducement to growth for plant culture 
in soils; and again has a puzzle to grow some other sorts; 
whilst the Physician or Internist is busy hunting in the excreta 
with the laboratory worker to end those intense pains, and the 
Dentist, not to be outdone, says to his colleague “That’s the 
cause of loosening and falling out of teeth, Pyorrhoea.” “No, 
it’s not,” said his friend, “it’s an ‘Eater of Bone,’ ” and so helps 
the oral surgeon to get a case, when up comes the preventive 
man and says, “You’re wrong. It’s doing its duty; it’s mostly 
a good scavenger and saves the youngsters some work.” 
Gentlemen, my story includes the *Amoeba Proteus, lobosa, 
radiosa_ villosa, verrucosa and Endamoeba_  Histolytica, 
Tetragonus, Buccalis and Endamoeba Coli of Panama and 
India, whether in the intestine, liver or mouth. 
Amoeba of the mouth not a recent discovery as some writers 
describe, but the Entamoebae Buccalis Kartulis or Amoebae 
*Hndamoeba is parisitic for man, and the Amoeba a free living saprophyte. 
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