WHAT WE BREATHE 41 



silken threads they disappeared after eight days ; 

 but when somewhat larger numbers were taken 

 they contrived to exist for eighteen days, whilst 

 when great multitudes of them were herded 

 together even one hundred and forty days' 

 starvation in these desert-like surroundings could 

 not entirely stamp out their vitality. 



This dangerous property possessed by the 

 germs of diphtheria should, if possible, increase 

 the vigilance with which the outbreaks of this 

 disease are watched and dealt with. Abel cites 

 an instance in which a wooden toy in the sick- 

 room of a child suffering from diphtheria was 

 found six months later to have virulent diphtheria 

 bacilli upon it. 



This reminds me of a case in which tetanus 

 or lock-jaw ensued from the use of some old 

 cobwebs in stopping the bleeding of a cut. The 

 wound was a perfectly clean one, and nothing 

 need have resulted from this obedience to a 

 superstitious prejudice had not the cobwebs un- 

 fortunately arrested some tetanus germs, and these 

 getting access to the wound set up the typical 

 symptoms of lock-jaw. That this implication of 

 the cobweb was no idle accusation was subse- 

 quently proved by portions of the same web, on 

 being inoculated into animals, inducing in the 

 latter well-defined symptoms of tetanus. 



