MICROBE OF THE LOCKJAW 153 



only by a wound. The wound may be consider- 

 able, or very slight. The least breakage of the 

 skin is sufficient. The necessary condition is that 

 the instrument with which the wound is made shall 

 be contaminated with soil which contains the mi- 

 crobe. The microbe is thus introduced into the 

 wound, and hence into the circulation. Once in 

 the circulation, the germ begins to grow into rods, 

 the rods into drumsticks, the drumsticks to pro- 

 duce spores. These spores grow, ripen and pro- 

 duce other little rods, drumsticks and spores. 

 These new germs likewise multiply. The work 

 goes rapidly on. Soon great numbers result* In 

 their life processes they generate the peculiar 

 poison which produces the disease. 



Bacteriologists tell us that of all the poisons 

 known to man the poison generated by this microbe 

 is the most deadly. This of course is the rea- 

 son why the lockjaw is so fatal, and kills so 

 suddenly. 



In driving your horse, he stumbles, falls on his 

 knees, and gets up with a slight wound. The 

 wound is contaminated with soil containing these 

 microbes. They enter the circulation. They 

 grow, multiply, generate the poison. The poison 

 seizes the muscles of the throat and jaws. The 

 jaws are locked, the poison grips every muscle and 

 nerve in the body. The horse is dead. 



Among his fire crackers, the Fourth-of-July boy 

 has the inevitable cannon. The deadly foe is in 

 the explosive. The boy explodes the cannon. The 



