GERMS. 35 



influence caused by the Pfeiffer's bacillus, and also an 

 epidemico-endemic influenza of identical nature, which 

 develops after the pandemic infection has run its course, 

 being caused by germs left over." 



Comment is unnecessary. Undoubtedly the bacter- 

 iologists dislike to use so many technicalities as pre- 

 sented in Doctor Finkler's explanation( ?), yet they 

 find it necessary when they wish to convey a mean- 

 ing(?) which no one can understand. 



Wonder what became of the germs "left over ?" 



To get a clearer understanding of what this theoriz- 

 ing germ specialist is telling us, let us remember that 

 an "epidemic" disease is one that spreads rapidly 

 through a community where it does not usually pre- 

 vail; an "endemic" disease is one continually present 

 in a community and dependent upon local conditions; 

 a "pandemic" disease is one affecting a whole country, 

 but this investigator says, in substance, that "grip is 

 a pandemic, epidemico-endemic disease," and "caused 

 by germs left over." 



We can understand the boy who said he wore a 

 wooden leg because it run in the family; we can under- 

 stand the noted Philadelphia doctor who instructed his 

 patient to take a teaspoonful at bedtime if unable to 

 sleep in water; we can understand why a bugler's note 

 never comes due, but we cannot understand how the 

 same germ can produce so many diseases at one and 

 the same time. 



The explanation of immunity and of influenza, as 

 furnished by bacteriologists, reminds us of that class 



