THE MICROBE OF DIPHTHERIA 157 



The air is also a means of carrying the germs 

 and spreading the disease. Every bit of excretion 

 from the throat or nose of the patient contains 

 large numbers of the invisible foes. Unless at once 

 destroyed, these excretions quickly dry on cloths, 

 the floor, or elsewhere. Then with any little stir 

 of broom, brush, duster, they are reduced to 

 powder, and with dust, rise into the air. The air 

 is breathed; the infection takes place. 



But by whatever means the deadly foes get into 

 the human system, once there, they find their way 

 to the throat, there make their attack. The mem- 

 branes of the throat are their natural nexus. Here 

 they locate because here they find their choicest 

 food. They propagate by Fission. Each one grows 

 a little longer, divides, becomes two. In the same 

 way the two become four. This doubling takes 

 place every twenty minutes. At this rate, one, in 

 twenty-four hours, becomes 16,500,000. In multi- 

 plying, these germs create white patches, some- 

 times a false membrane, in the throat. The 

 patches and membrane contain millions upon mil- 

 lions of the germs. By their life processes they 

 generate the deadly poison. This, entering the cir- 

 culation, is the stuff which sickens and so often 

 kills. 



Fortunately, the real antitoxine for this dreaded 

 disease has been discovered. The up-to-date doc- 

 tor keeps it on hand. The moment you suspect the 

 disease in your home, call this doctor. The right 

 dose of the antitoxine administered in season, and 



