MALADIE ET SYMBIOSE 273 



socio-physiological truths, and in the sense that Pathology, 

 rightly interpreted, teaches what Physiology should be. Prof. 

 Bernard's application of Pathology, however, I fear, can only be 

 regarded as " un tour de force." The orchidean embryo is no 

 more, to be regarded as "vaccinated" by the entrance of 

 a mycelium, than the egg is " vaccinated " by the entrance 

 accorded to a sperm. And it seems that the orchid embryo 

 has no moregw.sfo for an alien mycelium than the ovum usually has 

 for an alien germ. The amenities of the case are precisely those 

 one would expect on the view that genuine co-operation and what 

 this involves in mutual preparedness and mutual forbearance 

 were the aim of Nature. Neither, I believe, is it legitimate to 

 speak of " une atteinte benigne d'une maladie infectieuse acci- 

 dentelle." Infectious disease, I hold, is never a matter of 

 accident, but one of " soil " ; bad conditions of " soil " being due 

 to faulty biological behaviour the bad action producing the bad 

 reaction upon the organism. And it is, in my opinion, absurd to 

 call an infection " benigne " because the defence of the body is 

 as yet a match for the attack of the respective parasites and 

 because the body, on being fore-warned, may to some extent 

 even prove fore-armed. But to be pronouncedly liable to 

 infection is always a parlous condition, and the incidence of 

 infection is only too apt to follow in the wake of the liability. 

 With an occurrence of infection, the organism is obliged to re- 

 arrange its powers of defence. But whether such re-arrangement 

 is to entail a true strengthening of what one might call " Norm- 

 immunity," or only a " makeshift-immunity," unattended, that 

 is, by a concomitant reduction of the liability, remains to be seen 

 in every case. Nature aims above all at the maintenance of 

 integrity, which is more vital than the merely expedient survival 

 of individuals, and the manifold symbiotic bonds established 

 and profoundly sanctioned by her, cannot be lightly set aside 

 with experiments aiming at " make-shift " immunisation. To 

 tinker with old-established bonds, sacred to Norm-Symbiosis, 

 irrespective of " Norm-immunity " and " Norm-integrity "- 

 the integrity of the honest, thrifty and unencumbered organism 

 is only putting off the evil day and preparing the way for worse 

 disasters to follow. 



The case of the orchids shows that the fungi are attracted 

 by the surplus products of orchidean metabolism, the quality of 

 these products being in turn determined by the feeding habits 



