180 MICROBES AND HEALTH. 



tremely difficult. That is the reason the bacteriologists 

 established the Widal test. They claim the disease is 

 caused by a germ, yet it is well known that in one-half 

 of the cases they are unable to find any trace of their 

 germs, and having no other satisfactory means of decid- 

 ing, they established the Widal test, called the Widal 

 because Mr. Widal first wrote an article calling atten- 

 tion to its importance. Yet the test possesses but lit- 

 tle value. As there is much difference of opinion re- 

 garding typhoid fever, let us take an imaginary case: 

 Is it typhoid fever? Sometimes that is merely a mat- 

 ter of opinion, and each physician may hold a different 

 view. A few years ago the writer was acquainted with 

 a doctor who had twenty-one cases of typhoid f ever( ?) 

 on his hands all at one time. That was pretty hard 

 on the doctor, though the patients bore up well, as all 

 recovered. Other physicians in the same community 

 did not have any typhoid patients at this time. If a 

 typhoid patient lives until the end of the second week 

 there will be ulceration along the digestive tract. 

 There may be ulceration without typhoid. The mucous 

 membrane lining the digestive tract contains many 

 small glands or follicles. These are small thimble- 

 shaped depressions, and during inflammation these fol- 

 licles become enlarged as the swelling and pressure 

 prevent the discharge of their contents. The swelling 

 and pressure also interfere with the circulation, de- 

 genative changes follow from a lack of nourishment, 

 portions of the mucous membrane slough off, and thus 

 ulcers are formed. Not only ulcers, but gangrene may 

 occur if the inflammation is severe enough, yet in each 



