10 



Insects and Disease 



ill effects. This is of course a most fortunate 

 thing for us, for the parasitic germs are everywhere. 



There is perhaps "more truth than poetry" in 

 the following newspaper jingle: 



"Sing a song of microbes, 



Dainty little things, 

 Eyes and ears and horns and tails, 



Claws and fangs and stings. 

 Microbes in the carpet, 



Microbes in the wall, 

 Microbes in the vestibule, 



Microbes in the hall. 

 Microbes on my money, 



Microbes in my hair, 

 Microbes on my meat and bread, 



Microbes everywhere. 

 Microbes in the butter, 



Microbes in the cheese, 

 Microbes on the knives and forks, 



Microbes in the breeze. 

 Friends are little microbes, 



Enemies are big, 

 Life among the microbes is — 



Nothing * infra dig.' 

 Fussy little microbes, 



Millions at a birth, 

 Make our flesh and blood and bones, 



Keep us on the earth." 



While of course most of these microbes are to be 

 regarded as absolutely harmless and some as very 

 useful, many have the power to do much injury if 



