260 THE INVISIBLE WORLD 



the germs generate the terrible poison peculiar to 

 this disease. Permeating the nervous system, the 

 poison produces paralysis. 



Probably the paralysis takes place, for the most 

 part, below the point where the germ enters the 

 spinal cord. Hence, when infection comes by way 

 of some little wound on the lower parts of the body, 

 as foot or leg, the germ finds its way to a gan^ 

 glionic center low down in the spinal cord, and 

 therefore only the feet and legs may be paralyzed. 



In this case, if the paralysis is slight, the patient 

 may completely recover, the parts becoming nor- 

 mal. But, if the shock is severe, the feet and legs 

 will be crippled through life. 



Since the germ of this disease is everywhere 

 present in the soil, it might seem that the disease 

 should be more common. But the germs which 

 cause lockjaw, malignant oedema, carbuncle, and 

 puerperal fever, are likewise everywhere present in 

 the soil ; and yet those diseases but rarely occur. 



The explanation is that many of the workers in 

 the soil and of others similarly exposed, become im- 

 mune. They cannot have the disease anyway. 

 Moreover, for good reasons, the chances are always 

 against infection. The wound through which the 

 germ might enter would rarely occur. Rarely, too, 

 would the person breathe into the nostrils the 

 germ. Therefore, in the nature of things, just as 

 it happens, the disease itself would but rarely 

 occur. 



In the near future, it is hoped, the microbe of 



