24 THE INVISIBLE WORLD 



indebted to the microbe. These articles, without 

 the aid of our Invisible Friends, would disappear 

 from our tables the world over. 



Likewise for alcohol in all its forms, including 

 all alcoholic drinks, the world is indebted to the 

 microbe. Vinegar without them would also be un- 

 known. 



But microbes not only render needful service in 

 building up and preserving all good things for man, 

 but they also render essential aid in tearing to 

 pieces, dissolving and destroying all bad things. 

 Without their aid, dead bodies, both plants and 

 animals, would not decay, but encumber the 

 ground, finally making it impossible for man or 

 beast to exist. But with their aid all vegetable 

 and animal bodies left on the earth soon decay, are 

 dissolved into gas, and the gas goes to form new 

 vegetable and animal bodies; thus the earth is con- 

 tinually renewed, and kept clean, sweet and whole- 

 some for man and beast. 



On the other hand, as will be shown later on in 

 this work, the few kinds of bad microbes are our 

 deadliest enemies. They are the active cause of 

 all the contagious and infectious diseases in the 

 world. They cause the death of not less than 

 thirty million persons every year. Every year 

 they attack and cause the sickness and great suf- 

 fering of more than thirty millions more. Thus 

 these Invisible Foes cause more sickness, suffering 

 and death to mankind every year, many times 

 more, than all other causes combined. 



