St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-27
BACTERIA and Disease.

In the old. days of country debating soci-
ties, a stock question for the discussion of
rural solons was: (Which are the most Won
derfu1, the wonders of the invisible world, or
the wonders of the world visible to the
unaided eyer" Although trite, the question
has not lost its Importance. Medicine has
advanced more in the past fifty years than in
the previous five hundred, and its greatest of
recent discoveries have been along the line Of
disease producing causes.
The world teens with invisible life forms,
and there is a very popular error, that all the
bacteria revealed by the microscope are inju-
rious to health, and if their growth be permit
ted in the human organism they are fatal to
life. The term ssbacteria," is the plural of the
Greek word bacterium, which means little
rod or staff, and it is applied by scientists to
these minute forms Of life, because of their
prevailing shape, just as the term mammalia
is applied to all animals that suekle their
young, man included, but there is as great
variety, and as great diversity of species in
the world of bacteria as there is in that of
mammals The Latin word bacillus -
plural bacili-has the same meaning and is
applied to the same life forms.
These microscopic organisms are of very
low order of life, and scientists are undecided
as to whether they belong to the animal or
vegetable worlds, but the general opinion is
that they should be cassed with the latter.
A notion of the size of these creatures may
be had, when it is known that about two
thousand could occupy the space of the dot
over the letter l.
The bacteria of certain Diseases like con-
sumption, cholera and diphtheria, find in the
lungs, stomach and throat of man congenal
positions for their rapid growth, and it is
their destructive multiplication that mani
tests itself in the form of violent disease.
But there are bacteria that are neither
harmful nor dangerous; indeed, their exist
ence is actually essential in some cases to
health and to the perfect harmony of ma
lures mysterious laws. Again, and in per-
feet accord with the struggle for existence,
that is another of natures laws, some varie-
! ties of bacteria are the foes of others, and
when they meeta battle ensues, till the weak
er succumbs, a fact of which scientists in
other fields than that of medicine are now
beginning to avail themselves to the great
benefit Of man and of even some forms of
vegetable life, like the grape and the null
berry. '"'
+, It would no doubt startle the most ardent
lover if, before kissing the rosy lips of the
idol Of his heart, he stopped and recalled
that in the mouth of the healthiest of human
beings there is at all times not less than
i twenty different varieties of these bacteria,
a majority essential in the promotion of Sc
erection in the saliyary glands, and others are
essential in dividing food SO as to fit it for
perfect digestion.
! This is a most interesting subject. and in
vestgators are as yet but in sight of the
wonderful avenues of knowledge it opens up.
Indeed, man himself is simply q mass of
cells, 'eacn in itself a life form. These cells
are dying and growing continually, and SO
long as the growth exceeds the death, health
and strength remain. Fatigue is simply the
destruction Of cells faster than they can be
renewed, and death is the epoch when the
power to continue cell growth ceases, and
dissolution is the inevitable result.
The total export Of gold to Europe for the
fiscal year about to close is S23 100000, which
is considerably lower than the average for the
past four years, still it is about the average of
the gold export Tor the past ten years. But
for the increasing number of Americans"
who now live permanently in Europe, the
balance would be largely in our favor.
Governor TillInan, of South Carolina,
yields with bad grace to the Judge of the
Supreme Court OF that State. No matter
what respect he may have hitherto had for
the Constitution OF South Carolina, he is now
convinced that it should be amended as
speedily is possible-in the interest of his
own schemes.
A retired boss must be a novelty to Tam
many Hall. Hitherto but few have died,
none befors CroSer have resigned, and the
most famous OF ailiNas forced to yacate-the
official caair TO avoid the officers OF the law.
It is st. d that Croker has given up office
under 'ssanaaaay to avoid the fate of Tweed
hu. chs may be story of the enemy, for
strange though it may seem the enemies ofthe
great wigwam are increasing within its own