PASTEURIZATION VERSUS PURITY. 
35 
of the organs, even there they meet with elements of resistance 
which are often efficacious, such as defensive proteins and other 
antitoxic substances produced by these organs. When, how¬ 
ever, the general functions of the system are troubled either 
hereditarily or by reason of an acquired abnormal state, such as 
gout, diabetes, visceral, pulmonary or hepatic inflammation, the 
conditions of resistance are changed, for these by vitiating the 
regular functions of the organs, affect the vitality of the tissues 
and particularly the phagocytic elements. The microbes are 
destroyed in much smaller quantities and they no longer find 
antitoxic products which ought normally to oppose their devel¬ 
opment and neutralize the effect of their own poisons. In a 
word, they find a field of culture in which they cannot fail to 
flourish and multiply. The consequences are immediate, the 
infection of the tissues begins, ’ the poisons produced by the 
microbes are spread throughout the organism. Such is the me¬ 
chanism of the origin of diseases called infectious. 
From all this it is plain that everything which enfeebles our 
vitality is a dangerous condition and exposes to invasion. The 
most varied influences can come into play to create in us a con¬ 
dition of inferiority which will oblige us to surrender to our foe. 
Privations, great fatigue, the ingestion into our systems of toxic 
substances, intoxication by lead or alcohol, atmospheric condi¬ 
tions, excessive heat, intense cold, are so many elements which 
must be reckoned with. 
There is no warrant, then, for neglecting microbes and con¬ 
sidering them an enemy of slight importance. It would be 
folly to think that we may fold our arms and trust to our natural 
powers of resistance. On the contrary, we should always keep 
in mind that we have in microbes terrible adversaries, always 
on the alert to surprise us and against which we are bound to 
maintain as intact as possible the natural defenses with which 
our organisms can oppose them.” We believe one of our most 
valuable allies to be Pasteurization. In our opinion Pasteur has 
done no more valuable service for mankind than in giving us 
the process which bears his name. When we think of the vast 
