ZYMOSIS 



93 





extent of the initial tissue and vascular invasion. The 

 fundamental necessity for the final delivery of the specific 

 attack is that the cerebro-spinal lymph should be zymosed, 

 so to speak, by the hydrophobic bacteria, and tainted by 

 their toxins to such an extent that the encircled and inter- 

 penetrated neighbouring brain (but especially "the 

 medulla "), cord, and nerves become literally saturated and 

 intoxicated with the specific virus. On this occurrence 

 nothing but the preparation of the subject of the microbic 

 invasion for withstanding the attack and development of 

 the terrific phenomena of this fell disease, by the renowned 

 method of Pasteur, can offer any specific hope of averting 

 its inevitably fatal termination. We, however, now have 

 every reason to rejoice that science even here is offering 

 such well-founded hopes for those unfortunate enough to 

 contract such a fearful disease, and to the world generally 

 that there is a possibility that it may in time "cease to be." 



Zymosis may confine itself to a single structure, or 

 series of structures, may begin and end there, or may, by 

 continuity of the involved textures with neighbouring 

 textures, continue its destructive course indefinitely, as, 

 for instance, in certain lupoid affections and ulcerative 

 processes as well as " fungating" surfaces. Zymosis may, 

 moreover, begin and continue a local invasion along a 

 single line into the blood or lymph streams proper, or 

 by nervine channels into the cerebro-spinal lymph, there- 

 after effecting an exit along the same or other local lines 

 without producing more than a minimum of constitutional 

 disturbance or more than a local effect or an entirely local 

 discomfort. Zymosis is, therefore, a process varying in 

 the intensity of its effects from the most ephemeral and 

 mild to the most prolonged and malignant, according to 

 the media and textures invaded, and according to the 

 character of the invading organism, as to rapidity of 

 growth, reproduction, and spread, and the intensity of 

 the virulence of action of its toxines on the structures and 

 physiological processes involved. 



The parasitic, contagious, and infectious agents now 

 known to science represent a wide field of natural history, 

 and comport themselves in their pathogenic work in a 

 great variety of ways, and deliver their specific attacks on 



