Apeil 9, 1897.] 



SCIENCE. 



569 



There is little room for doubt that in the 

 first instance the antitoxins are the result of 

 cell activity upon the introduced poison. 

 Just how the cell manages to convert the 

 toxin into antitoxic ferment is not known, 

 probably by absorption of the toxin and 

 subsequent secretion of the antitoxin within 

 the cell-wall. Every added dose of toxin 

 finds not onlj' the leucocytes but a ferment 

 to aid in its decomposition, and so the 

 change proceeds more rapidly and the im- 

 munity is increased. Exactly what the 

 chemical alteration in this instance is, has 

 not been explained, but that there is oxida- 

 tion, and molecular rearrangement of the 

 toxin seems to be probable. 



Thus without taking into consideration 

 the destruction of the causes of disease, 

 viz., germs themselves, by means of such 

 excellent disinfectants as formaldehyde, has 

 the warfare against the microbes progressed. 

 Although as we learn more of the proper- 

 ties and uses of their toxins we are almost 

 forced to confess that it is not a warfare, 

 but rather that man is learning how to 

 train and control these microscopic forms 

 of life as centuries before he learned how 

 to control the animals and higher plants. 



Our ideas of germs are so thoroughly 

 associated with disease that we often forget 

 that these germs are but the simplest forms 

 of plant cells which are endowed with vari- 

 ous functions. The majority of them are 

 not injurious to man, but very useful fellow- 

 workers if he has once learned how to 

 manage them. The value of this cell life 

 in the production of wines, beer and other 

 fermented liquids is too well known to need 

 more than passing mention. But you may 

 not all know to what extent the aroma and 

 flavor of butter and cheese are due to the 

 products of micro-organisms. Kow these 

 products are frequently ethers and esters, 

 sometimes acid and acid derivatives or 

 amines, the latter a class of compounds to 

 one of which smoked herring owes its par- 



ticular flavor and which is also formed by a 

 number of bacteria. 



When milk is first collected from healthy 

 animals it is almost free from germs, but ex- 

 posed to the air it soon becomes filled with 

 those forms of life which are perfectly 

 harmless. If placed under suitable condi- 

 tions with regard to temperature they will 

 multiply very readily and the milk becomes 

 sour, due to the formation of lactic acid 

 produced from the sugar in the milk by one 

 or more of these germs. If the germs 

 present happen to be those giving an ether 

 and ester which have a pleasant flavor and 

 aroma, good butter can be made, but if 

 they give rise to the formation of disagree- 

 able thio, ethers and esters or some amines, 

 the butter is poor and bad 



N"ow, by isolating different germs found 

 in the milk and cultivating them separately, 

 so as to discover their own peculiar product, 

 it is possible to always make butter of the 

 same sort and flavor by flrst destroying the 

 other germs present by Pasteurization and 

 then inoculating the cream with the par- 

 ticular germs desired. A number of germs 

 have been isolated from milk which will 

 produce good butter, and any one of them 

 is, perhaps, as satisfactory as the other, the 

 etheral product being slightly different and 

 more palatable to different individuals. 

 Of course, a great many germs have been 

 found in milk which produce disagreeable 

 compounds and it is not possible to tell 

 from their appearance simply, which will 

 be desirable plants, but it is easy to culti- 

 vate them in a small quantity of milk, note 

 the results and select the desirable plant 

 cells. 



Fortunately or unfortunately the use of 

 these germs has been patented, so that in 

 the near future we may see branded upon 

 particularly fine butter and cheese patented 

 in 1893, amended 1896, reissued 1908, etc. 

 May we expect soon a patented process for 

 sterilized breathing, eating and sleeping ? 



