CHAPTER XVII 

 THE PSYCHIC FACULTY OF MICROBES 



BY psychic faculty is meant the power to know. 

 It is easy to see that microbes have this power. 

 It may be infinitesimally small; but it is real all 

 the same. 



For instance, in obtaining their food they ex- 

 ercise the power of choice. They get their food 

 by coming in contact with it. When they come 

 in contact with a particle of vegetable or animal 

 substance which is proper food, they extemporize a 

 mouth, engulf and digest it. But coming in con- 

 tact with a mineral particle which is not proper 

 food, they avoid and reject it. This is choice. 

 They choose one particle, and reject the other. 

 They could not make the wise selection without 

 knowing the difference between the two particles. 

 Only a psychic faculty could do this. 



Another illustration of the same thing is seen 

 in the actions of the higher micro-organisms which 

 copulate. The male seeks the female very much 

 as the rooster seeks the hen. To make the parallel 

 complete, the female microbe shys and pretends to 

 run away from the male, very much as the hen 

 shys and pretends to run away from the rooster. 

 Frequently, before coition takes place, the male and 



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