GERMS INTO THE BODY. 165 



into the capillary vessels or lymphatics, ramifying in 

 the tissues beneath. But besides gaining access to 

 the blood of man's organism through the breathing 

 apparatus, the particles of contagious germinal matter 

 may pass into the stomach with the food, and make 

 their way into the blood after traversing the delicate 

 mucous covering of that organ. They might get 

 into some of the mucous follicles, and after growing 

 and multiplying there, some of the particles might 

 reach the vessels which lie just beneath. 



As has been already mentioned, some disease- 

 germs, like the lower vegetable and animal organisms, 

 will live for a considerable time in water. But it 

 must not be concluded that this fact tends in any 

 way to favour the view that disease-germs are in fact 

 animal or vegetable particles, for pus-corpuscles will 

 not only live for a considerable period of time in 

 water, holding in solution a very small quantity of 

 animal matter, but they will grow and multiply. Of 

 all media taking part in the wide diffusion of disease- 

 germs, and facilitating their introduction into man's 

 organism, water, there is reason to think, is the most 

 general, and, perhaps with the exception of air, the 

 most effective. 



Lastly, the particles of contagious bioplasm or 

 germinal matter may enter the body through the 

 skin. In some states of the cutaneous surface, the 

 epidermis is swollen, softened, and moist, and living 

 particles would easily insinuate themselves in the 



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