Morning journal and courier., 1885-07-18
what Recome. or the Dead,


 If we follow the process of decay which takes place in the grave, it will be found that living organisms take part in the decay of the buried body, just as they do when beef or mutton is consumed by man. In ab- so1utely pure air flesh does not decay, and is in fact preserved for an indefinite time. But air is very seldom absolutely pure, for in it are an infinite number of floating micro-or- ganisms, either as spores or fully developed. On the tops of mountains the organisms which are named baci11i, bacteria, or micro eoeci, are sparsely found. In the air of the country they are common, in that of towns they abound, over sewers or churchyards they positively swarm What are they! Are they plants or animalsa This is question that science has not yet decided. Chemists are inclined to consider them animals of very low type, because animals are chiefly engaged in performing analytical functions, that is, pulling organic matter to pieces, while plants perform synthetical functions, that is, build ing up complex organic matter out of simple materials, for example, moulding organisms out of carbonic acid water and ammonia. Now, the great function of these micro organisms which play such an important part in the economy of the world is to convert potential energy, into actual energy or to put it more simply, to convert passive afinities into active affnities. In or ganized matter there is for time the repose of the chemical attractions of these four ele- ments-carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxy- gen, which constitute the great bulk of the body. The micro organisms are engaged in the resolution of the dead body into those active forms of chemical energy-carbonic acid, water and ammonia. When these in- numerabls little beings have free play they are the greatest benefactors to the human race, for they are the most powerful of all jscayengers, and they purify air, water, and soil so as to render them fit for the living. But if you oppose their free action by rsstric- ting their access by shutting out the free cir culation of air necessary to their life func- tions they become intensely malignant in their character, the true vampires of the dead, for they fly about planting themselves in the blood of the living and producing our well known epidemic diseases -zymotic or "flthn diseases. In the fluids of patients suffering from such diseases these mieFo-or- ganisms swarm Mankind has only recently recognized how much we owe to the micro organisms. Wine and beer are produced by their agency; by them vinegar is formed; by them we get those vast beds of saltpetrs or nitre which is one of the forms into which they convert decaying matter. Our ances- tors used to live with rushes on the floors. When the rushes became filthy new ones were put on the top and frequently accumu- lated to considerable thickness. Then the dreaded sspetremenn of the king came and insisted on digging up the clay floor which had become saturated with saltpetre formed by these busy micrococci, in order to save the inhabitants from pestilence produced by their filthy habits. These little organisms, whether they be plants animals, are in finite benefactors to the human race or terri ble scourges, according as the man is obe- dient to the wise laws of the creator.