Wounds and Surgical Diseases 79 



white blood-cells may accumulate more and 

 more and die, the tissues may break down, and 

 so an abscess may be formed. Sometimes 

 the germs get into the blood and are carried 

 to various parts of the body, and wherever 

 they lodge abscesses may be formed, and this 

 constitutes one of the most dreaded forms of 

 blood poisoning. 



Now what do the white blood-cells, the 

 leucocytes, accomplish under these circum- 

 stances? 



There is good reason to believe that the 

 resisting capacity of the body to the incur- 

 sions of these living bacteria is largely resident 

 in the lowly organized cells, which in carrying 

 on their simple cellular activities assume the 

 role of defenders of the body against the bac- 

 terial invaders. If the conditions are fa- 

 vorable for them the white blood- and other 

 cells may get the upper hand of the bacteria 

 and stop their growth or kill them all off and 

 thus avert the danger. If, on the other hand, 

 the cells are not vigorous enough to resist 

 the poison set free by the bacteria and 

 themselves succumb to its influence, the 



