METHODS AND CHANNELS OF INFECTION 68 1 



changes in the functional activity of the tissues, the general metabolism 

 may be disturbed. Muscular weakness, delirium, pain and loss of 

 appetite, together with vomiting, diarrhea, disturbance of intestinal 

 absorption and the digestive juices are often noted in cases of altered 

 metabolism. The fats, carbohydrates, and then the proteins are in 

 the order named rapidly used up, producing certain changes in the 

 respired air and in the urine and feces. Infectious^ microorganisms 

 may also reduce the power of the hemoglobin to carry oxygen and 

 perhaps cause a narrowing of the respiratory passages thus preventing 

 the necessary amount of oxygen reaching the lungs and subsequently 

 the tissues. 



Infecting microorganisms may alter the composition of the food 

 substances and after being taken into the body produce abnormal 

 compounds which have Uttle or no nutritive value on absorption or 

 they may produce toxic substances related to ptomains. Substances 

 which normally should be eliminated from the body are often retained 

 and abnormal losses of such substances, as water and various albumi- 

 nous compounds, occur. 



Attendant upon the changes in metaboUsm usually there occurs 

 fever in all infectious diseases. It is probable that the fever is the 

 result of the effect of the toxic protein compounds of the infecting 

 microorganisms on the tissues, or the disintegration of the protein 

 compounds of the body due to the action of toxins. It is evident that . 

 the fever-producing substances, in certain infectious diseases, act in a 

 very characteristic manner as is demonstrated by the so-called tj^ical 

 fever curves. It seems to have been demonstrated that fever is a good 

 sign and that it is indicative of the reaction of the body to the toxic 

 substances of the infecting agents. It has also been shown that the 

 fall of fever in certain infections is attendant upon the formation and 

 saturation of the body fluids with antibodies. 



Blood-forming Organs. — ^There are usually changes in the blood- 

 forming organs in mOst all tj^es of infection. The spleen frequently 

 shows enlargement and contains jiumbers of myelocytes which are 

 also found in the blood in increased numbers. This is probably due to 

 the disintegration and deposition there of re4 blood corpuscles and 

 also to the action of toxic substances. The endothelial cells and 

 leucocytes of the spleen are actively phagocytic. The bone marrow, 

 particularly the fatty marrow, shows large numbers of myelocytes of 



