70 MICROBES AND HEALTH. 



soft, are removed unconscious!}" in the absence of 

 germs/' 



The trouble with the professor is, he is unable to 

 distinguish between physiological and pathological 

 conditions or changes. All will understand that germ 

 action has nothing to do with the physiological or 

 natural changes, repair and waste, constantly going on 

 in a healthy system, as mentioned by the professor, but 

 only applies to diseased conditions where waste is 

 present in unusual amounts. 



In maintaining life and health the different cells 

 of the body are constantly taking up nourishment and 

 giving off an equal amount of waste in the form of 

 dead matter. This is nature's plan, and so long as 

 health is maintained each cell in the body must do its 

 part. Cells are not replaced all at once, but so grad- 

 ual are worn-out particles cast off and replaced by 

 new, that weeks and months are required to complete 

 the change. In disease it is different, as a whole cell 

 or a great number of them may die at one time. What 

 is to be done? They cannot be eliminated whole, and 

 the surrounding healthy cells are unable to go beyond 

 their own borders. They have enough to do to take 

 care of their own business, and especially since disease 

 is present. It is in conditions like these that germs 

 from the external world, finding their way into the 

 system as they do constantly, float along in the cir- 

 culation and lodge in the dead tissue, produce fermen- 

 tation, and the dead tissue is broken up and eliminated. 



The professor's teaching applied to health is correct ; 

 applied to disease and it becomes ridiculous at once. 



