62 THE STORY OF THE BACTERIA. 



wherever the dust falls on the open surfaces of 

 the. wounds or on any thing which comes in 

 contact with them, and the living bacteria 

 lodge, they may, if not destroyed, commence 

 to grow, and not only by the poisonous mate- 

 rials which they form as they grow, interfere 

 with the healing of the wounds, but they may 

 get into the blood and be carried to various 

 parts of the body, there growing and produ- 

 cing sometimes fatal results. 



It is one of the greatest practical triumphs 

 of science in modern times that the surgeon 

 can now so carefully plan out his operations 

 and treatment of wounds, that not only is 

 blood poisoning, as it used to prevail but a 

 few years ago, the greatest rarity among edu- 

 cated and skilful surgeons, but the most ex- 

 tensive operations, such as opening the great 

 cavities of the body, may now be done, when 

 they are necessary to save life or make it 

 endurable, with very little risk of the frightful 

 dangers which formerly attended such pro- 

 cedures. 



Childbed fever, which in former times 

 claimed so many victims under especially lam- 



