Evening journal., 1898-01-19
HOW MICROBES THRIVE
Most OF Them Prefer Man and Make
Him Their Victim.

hlm lneAf tlcA-Ws
One would think that such triiiing
things as the microbes several mill
lions Of which could find comfortable
accommodation on the surface Of q
shilling-would not have any special
tastes one way or another. But they
really are quite particular as to where
they take up theirabode. OneSindis only
happy when it can locate itself in some
body's lungs; another goes TO the liver
by choice; o third is satisfied when it
gets to the back Of the mouth. Again,
one kind will find its billet in dog or
remain homeless; another prefers
pigeon; a third likes the rabbit best; a
fourth is not content with anything
lower than man.
Most microbes like man when they
can get him, and the typhoid germ likes
nothing else. He is distinguished from
all others of his kind by the fact that
he will have nothing to do with any
other species Of animal whatever, and
that, wherever man is, he is there also.
Whether in Iceland or India, Canada
or Central America, England or Au-
stralia, the typhoid bacillus is always to
be found wherever men are gathered
together. And mountain is the same
as plain to him; inland as seaboard. To
look at, he is not much. Just a little,
short, thick rod, with rounded ends
lie is always on the move. When very
short he moves quite rapidly; when a
bit long he takes things easier No
doubt the great object of his motion is
to get into a mans stomach and intes-
tines, for when he gets there he stays
there long enough.
He would stay there indefinitely
for no human power can eject him
but for the curious fact that after Q
time he poisons himself. Fortunately
all microbes do this or they would soor
clear the earth Of every living thing
The typhoid bacillus does it usually il
about three weeks, sometimes even in
two, but often he takes four or five OF
even six. The course Of the disease il
any individual case depends altogether
on the length Of time the bacillus takes
Ito poison himself. AS is well known
doctors do nothing beyond sustaining
the patients strength and seeing tina
he is placed in the best conditions t'
weather the attack. But from th'
moment the bacilli enter the intestiu
they continue to manufacture some ex
traordinary destructive substance il
which, sooner or later, they all die. TIL
worst Of it is that this substance is ais
poisonous 10 human beings and oftei
kills them first. tits this, in fact, whlcl
produces the fever. The bacillus him
self remains all the time in the intes
tine, but the poison, called tox albumin
which he manufactures is absorbed int
the blood and brings about that tel
rible condition called typhoid fever.
Now and again the fever lasts fly
weeks, and It may not end even till th
fortieth day. Then comes the mos
difficult period Of all for those in al
tendance. A doctor positively does nc
know what to do with a convalescen
typhoid patient. He is so ravenousl
z hungry that he would rather get
piece of raw beef at once than wait fiy
: minutes for nicely cooked lamb cutie
Most medical men believe, howeye
that for ten days after typhoid patiel
IS well on the road TO recovery a sol
meal is as dangerous as the origins
dose of microbes.-London Mail.