34 MICROBES AND HEALTH. 



tralize poison and cure disease, still is the whole sub- 

 ject one of nature's tantalizing and well fortified 

 secrets/ " 



Patients are reminded that bacterioligists never fur- 

 nish brains. 



Look out for the toxiphoric group of cells ! 



Poultry-raisers should not feel too jubilant because 

 their old hens are excused from lockjaw, for the 

 chickens may still die of the pip. 



The bacteriologists remind us of the story of the 

 stage-driver who, after receiving much praise for the 

 fine appearance of one of his horses, exclaimed : "That 

 'oss ain't so good as he looks; he's a scientific 'oss." 

 On being asked to explain the driver said: "A scien- 

 tific 'oss is one as thinks he knows a great deal more 

 nor he does." 



We are also reminded of the old negro doctor who 

 was fond of using long words, and who frequently used 

 the word intertranssubstantiationableness. One day a 

 patient said to him: "Why, doctor; you do not even 

 know the meaning of that word." The old doctor re- 

 plied, "P'r'aps not, sah ; p'r'aps not ; but I have noticed 

 when in doubtful places, sah, that I have used that 

 word with spontaneous effect." 



We have just listened to the explanation of "immu- 

 nity:" now, let us listen to an explanation regarding 

 the cause of influenza. Page 85, Merks' Archives for 

 February, 1899, contains the following quotation from 

 Doctor Finkler, a prominent germ theorist. Doctor 

 Finkler says: "I am inclined to accept the views of 

 Doctor Leichtenstcin, that there exists a pandemic 



