158 THE STORY OF GERM LIFE. 



and then the body develops strength to drive off 

 the bacteria which have obtained lodgment in the 

 throat. How they accomplish this latter achieve- 

 ment we do not know as yet. The antitoxine 

 developed simply neutralizes the effects of the 

 toxine. Some other force must be at work to get 

 rid of the bacteria, a force which can only exert 

 itself after the poisoning effect of the poison is 

 neutralized. In these cases, then, the recovery is 

 due, first, to the development in the body of the 

 natural antidotes to the toxic poisons, and, second, 

 to some other unknown force which drives off the 

 parasites. 



These facts are certainly surprising. If one 

 had been asked to suggest the least likely theory 

 to explain recovery from disease, he could hardly 

 have found one more unlikely than that the body 

 cells developed during the disease an antidote to 

 the poison which the disease bacteria were pro- 

 ducing. Nevertheless, it is beyond question that 

 such antidotes are formed during the course of 

 the germ diseases. It has not yet been shown in 

 all diseases, and it would be entirely too much to 

 claim that this is the method of recovery in all 

 cases. We may say, however, in regard to bacte- 

 rial diseases in general, that after the bacteria en- 

 ter the body at some weak point they have first a 

 battle to fight with the resisting powers of the body, 

 which appear to be partly biological and partly 

 chemical. These resisting powers are in many 

 cases entirely sufficient to prevent the bacteria 

 from obtaining a foothold. If the invading host 

 overcome the resisting powers, then they begin 

 to multiply rapidly, and take possession of the 

 body or some part of it. They continue to grow 

 until either the individual dies or something oc- 



