THE BACILLUS. 215 



mated atoms; that many of the rocks were composed solely 

 of their minute skeletons ; that a layer of them reposed on 

 the depth of ocean ; that countless numbers of them were 

 borne with the floating dust in the air. Some of these 

 discoveries caused him wonder and admiration, others a 

 certain sense of uneasiness and disgust ; but when he dis- 

 covered that neither he nor his ancestors had suffered any 

 material inconvenience from imbibing these countless hosts 

 in their drinks, or inhaling them in the atmosphere, he 

 ceased to trouble himself about them, and went on his way 

 regardless of their existence. The case has been wholly 

 changed by the discovery of the bacillus, and man stands 

 aghast alike at the terribly destructive and deadly nature of 

 his foe, and at his own impotency to guard himself against 

 its attacks. His feelings resemble those of the solitary 

 traveller who finds that the forest through which he is 

 passing is swarming with desperate and determined enemies, 

 who are bent upon taking his life. 



It needs no great powers of prevision to perceive that the 

 discovery of the bacillus must lead to an enormous revo- 

 lution in our methods of life. It is not man's nature to 

 submit passively to tyranny and oppression; and now 

 that we are beginning to form some idea of the number 

 and deadly nature of our foe, we shall assuredly embark 

 upon a prolonged and desperate warfare with him. In- 

 ventors will, in the first place, devote all their energies to 

 discovering a means of defence against his attacks. We 

 may expect that just as our ancestors clad themselves in 

 armour to protect themselves against human weapons, 

 so in the future we shall wear some sort of covering, 

 composed, perhaps, of extremely thin and flexible glass, to 



