1 7 6 STA TE OF BLOOD FA VO URING 



early period of the disease. From the collections 

 thus formed, particles may be carried to other parts. 



State of Blood favourable to the Multiplication of 

 Disease Germs, No investigation is likely to be 

 more fruitful in valuable results than a very care- 

 ful inquiry into the microscopical and chemical cha- 

 racters of the blood just before its invasion by con- 

 tagious disease germs, and the alterations effected by 

 them during the period of incubation. There is much 

 reason to think that certain states of blood are favour- 

 able to the multiplication of the poison, while others, 

 perhaps, render its destruction almost certain. 



It is at least doubtful if the growth and multipli- 

 cation of every kind of disease germ will occur in 

 perfectly healthy blood, even if introduced and mixed 

 with it. Numerous facts, which will occur to every 

 practitioner, render it far more probable that at least 

 in the case of the great majority of contagious fevers 

 a certain state of blood must be induced before the 

 contagious poison can grow and multiply, and pro- 

 duce new germs. No one has, however, yet suc- 

 ceeded in ascertaining exactly in what particulars such 

 altered blood differs from the perfectly healthy circu- 

 lating fluid, but it is not a state of blood associated 

 with a large number of red blood corpuscles, or with 

 a highly active condition of the oxidizing processes ; 

 nor is the condition under consideration brought 

 about by living much in the open air, and by the 

 plentiful supply of good wholesome food and water. 



