HEALTH AND WELL-BEING 41 



Though at such times in a much weakened state by reason 

 of the period of sickness that has preceded, the patient may 

 recover. The poisonous waste products of bacteria in the 

 putrefaction of foods are known as ptomaines (to-ma-inz). 



The efficacy of serums as prepared from the blood of 

 animals known to have had an infectious disease seems to 

 lie in the fact that such blood contains antitoxins of the 

 disease. A person inoculated with this serum is thus fur- 

 nished protection against toxins developed in his own system 

 by the multiplication of germs. Serious illness or death 

 is thus prevented during the time needed for his own body 

 to produce the antitoxins in sufficient quantity. 



The toxins left in the blood by a disease often prove 

 harmful to organs that have, not been infected, and death 

 may result from it indirectly as in case of heart failure follow- 

 ing pneumonia. 



Children often have diphtheria germs in the throat for 

 some considerable time after their recovery from the disease. 

 They may spread the diphtheria if allowed to return to 

 school before a microscopic examination of discharges from 

 the throat by a physician has shown it free of the germs. 

 The diphtheria serum, first prepared by Von Behring, is 

 from the blood of a horse. It contains the antitoxins of 

 diphtheria developed in the animal during a prolonged 

 period of infection. When diphtheria antitoxin is used at 

 the first symptoms of the disease few deaths occur, while 

 otherwise it is often fatal. 



The simple direction that the fingers and objects generally 

 must not be put into the mouth should be insisted upon with 

 children after the period of infancy till its observance has 

 become habitual. The hands should always be washed before 

 eating as a protection against infection as well as for personal 

 cleanliness. Fruits such as apples, peaches, grapes, berries, 

 etc.,, and all garden stuff that is eaten uncooked, such as 



