THE METAZOA 



swollen. I told the attending physician 

 that the child would not probably die 

 from her two infections, but from the gen- 

 eral invasion through her ulcerated throat 

 of numberless streptococci. As the child 

 could not swallow, she was to be treated 

 without any medicine, for the hypodermic 

 injections of strychnine for stimulating 

 the failing heart which the physician had 

 been giving would be no more efficacious 

 against the condition than if the little 

 syringe was emptied into a fire. The only 

 recourse left was to freely douche the 

 throat as one would wash a dirty sidewalk 

 with a hose. We might thus wash away 

 the armies of micro-organisms and stop the 

 further absorption of the diphtheria toxin 

 from the decomposing membrane, while 

 the patient's vital powers might be able 

 to overcome the organisms which had 

 already gained entrance, provided that 

 no further additions were allowed. With 

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