Pathogenic 3Iicrobes in the Static Condition. 59 



through the intact mucous membranes, but this faculty 

 may give rise to no injurious effects upon individuals 

 who are in absolutely physiological conditions. M. 

 Bouchard has given the following explanation of the 

 mechanism by which the normal organism opposes 

 itself to the penetration of the germs present on the 

 natural surfaces : — Germs which have traversed the 

 epithelium immediately come into conflict with the 

 white corpuscles distributed in the derm of the mu- 

 cosa, and by these they are taken up and digested. 

 If, on the contrary, the economy is disturbed, thrown 

 out of equilibrium, by a sufficient cause (repeated in- 

 -fluence of currents of cold air, influence of fear) the 

 enfeebled white corpuscles allow the microbes to 

 break through the barrier which they are charged 

 with defending. The experiments of Bouchard were 

 made with ordinary germs; their results are applica- 

 ble to pathogenic microbes, with this difierence, that 

 it is necessary, here, to take into account a supple- 

 mentary factor directly related to the pathogenic 

 faculty : we refer to the influence that the secretions 

 of these microbes can themselves exert, in such cases, 

 upon the white corpuscles, in attenuating or annihi- 

 lating their action. 



Wounds. — In general, wounds are the surfaces of 

 predilection for the absorption of pathogenic germs 

 not only on account of the division of the tissues and 

 vessels which, in a manner, opens the way for them, 

 but also because the organism is not prepared with 

 its means of defense. The latter has to be organized 

 upon the field, and but too frequently proves inade- 

 quate to repel the invaders. ^Nevertheless, hemor- 

 rhage, and the phagocytic action of the elements of 



