156 The Story of the Bacteria 



she seems to be overworked or lacks resources. 

 In New York City, for example, in 1907 there 

 were between 8,000 and 9,000 deaths from 

 tuberculosis of the lungs; nearly 700 from 

 typhoid fever, about as many from scarlatina; 

 over i, 600 from diphtheria, and more than 

 600 from cerebro-spinal meningitis. This 

 looks as if Nature needed help, as in truth 

 she does. 



Now let us see how science is trying to lend 

 a hand. 



It is clear, in a general way, how the body 

 protects itself against harmful bacteria by 

 its power of neutralizing their poisons, by 

 destroying them with its cells, and by its 

 inherent tendency to get well, whatever hap- 

 pens. But science must know more than this. 

 If it is going to help to neutralize poisons it 

 must know more of the processes which the 

 body uses for this purpose. If it is to rein- 

 force the efforts of the cells in killing and 

 destroying bacteria, it should get behind the 

 scenes and learn, if possible, how this is done 

 in the single-handed conflicts which mark 

 each hour of life. 



