GERMS. 75 



theria are based on cases diagnosed by the microscope, 

 destroys their value as evidence, for to-day every phy- 

 sician understands that repeated and painstaking 

 examinations have proven the absence of the germ in 

 some of the most virulent cases of diphtheria, and 

 again it may be present for weeks at a time in the 

 mouths and throats of healthy children. The pres- 

 ence of the germ depends upon the vitality and nutri- 

 tion of the throat structures, and the amount and 

 character of the exudations. A severe case of diph- 

 theria with a well organized membrane, with dry and 

 swollen surrounding structures, ' would present a poor 

 medium for the development of germs, and in such 

 cases germs may be absent. 



A bacteriologist may examine fifty children, and by 

 the aid of the microscope he may find the so called 

 diphtheria germ present in the throats of one-half the 

 number. He immediately reports twenty-five cases of 

 diphtheria, uses his antitoxin and again reports a cure 

 in each case, when the facts are, there may not have 

 been a single case of diphtheria among those reported. 

 Bacteriologists know this to be true. 



In the Eeview of Reviews for October, 1900, Dr. 

 Bantock states (page 483): "The misconceptions in 

 regard to germs seem to have arisen from the mistak- 

 ing of an effect for a cause. For example the diph- 

 theria germ has been looked upon as the cause of diph- 

 theria, while it is universally admitted that it is con- 

 tinually present in perfectly healthy mouths and 

 throats. But, of course, when an individual contracts 

 diphtheria all the microbes which are swarming in his 



