CAUSE OF EVOLUTION 379 



and poison the microbes, and that they are stimulated to 

 this act by the presence of the microbes and their toxins. 

 Presumably those toxins are the same as are used by 

 phagocites to destroy microbes by ingestion. The toxins 

 of all microbes are not alike as shown by different symp- 

 toms from diphtheria and tetanus. In acute diseases such 

 as diphtheria and tetanus, though the phagocites crowd 

 towards the infected area until the red and inflamed tis- 

 sue surrounding it is full of them, killed or paralyzed by 

 the concentrated toxins, they do not ingest the microbes, 

 at any rate, at first. If unable to cope with the invaders, 

 the sufferers die, but in case of recovery they gradually 

 get the upper hand and in the latter stages of the disease 

 the disintegrating microbes may be seen within them." 



A most wonderful experiment to show the extraordi- 

 narily keen sense of smell possessed by the white cells of 

 our body, who fight and kill the dangerous cells or bac- 

 teria, is described in the following from a medical jour- 

 nal : 



"If microbes are introduced into the body, inclosed in 

 a capillary glass tube, the ends of which are plugged by 

 a substance that permits a free diffusion of fluids but 

 prevents the escape of the micro-organisms or the 

 entrance of the phagocites, the latter collect about the 

 tube in clusters at the open ends. As sanitary officials, 

 they are attracted by the secretions (toxins) of the 

 microbes." 



Just notice how the soldiers of our body we call white 

 cells are able to detect the presence of the dangerous 

 enemies inside the glass tube and wait there at the 

 entrance in sufficient numbers to be able to destroy them 

 if they should escape from the tube. Here we have a 

 good illustration of the fact that the sense organs of the 

 cell are in every way just as keen as those of the higher 



