FORTY BILLION GERMS

Temuka Leader, Issue 1875, 6 April 1889, Page 3

FORTY BILLION GERMS

In his quiet and cosy library at the close of a busy day sat a gentleman and bis wife, he absorbed in a new book, and she in a newspaper. Quickly glancing towards her husband, she asked, ot a certain point in the article : “John, what is the genu theory ?’ “The germ theory—well—yes; just look in the encyclopedia under ‘Germ,’ that will explain it so much better than I can.” Accordingly his wife opened the book at the word named and read 2 Germ Theory of disease—A theory advanced by the ablest and best investigators and scientists of the \imes. It supposes the surface of the earth, the air, and water to be inhabited to a greater or leas extent with a peculiar growth of the lowest form of fungi—commonly called bacteria, whose power of reproduction under fayoiable conditions, is so great that a single germ will increase to fifteen million in twenty-four honra’ time, and unchecked in its increase would grow to a mass of eight hundred tons in three days’ time, if space and foodjbe furnished. There is no condition under which it can be said to be absent, unless it be from fire or air filtered through cotton batting in numerous layers. A single drop of water containing a germ, put into water, boiled, filtered, and thus freed from bacteria, will grow murky in a day or two from the development of new germs. When it is considered that it requires about forty billion to weigh one groin, some remote idea can be of germ reproduction. Professor John Tyndall, in a late work, elaborately treats of the influence of germ in the propagation of disease, and charges upon this cause the inception and development of very many of the ailments most injurious to man. Professor Pasteur, an eminent French savant, has carried his original and beautiful experiments so far, and from them deduced such practical results as very greatly to diminish the number of cases of anthrax among sheep and chicken ohelera among fowls—proving bis theory that these are essentially and actually germ diseases. These germs are carried into the system through the lungs, the stomach and possibly the skin, but through the lungs chiefly. Once in the system they begin to devolope, poisoning the blood, Invading the uarvo centres, disturbing the functional activity of the great organs of the body, and inducing a general impairment of the vital processes. They are the causes of fever, rheumatism, Bright’s disease of thekidneya,pneumonia, blood poisoning, liver disease, diphtheria, and many other ailments. Lately, Professor Koch, a famous German physician, has proved that consumption of (he lungs is doe to this cause -the presence of a peculiar germ. When the circulation is bounding, the nervea elastic aud the system all aglow with l£e and energy the germs seem to develMpoorly if at all. But with weakened Bvos, poor digestion, or malaesimilationS food, or a lowering of vitality from rny cause, a change ensues, and in this i®overished and weakened fluid the a genial home, and develops of disease are distinctly manifested. This is is seen in the everyday experience of all. The healthy man resists the influences around him and does not take cold, while those whose systems have become weak from any cause readily contract colds. This is on the same principle as the germ theory. The germs attack any weakened spot in the body, and fixing theraselyes upon it, begin their propagation. It is plain, therefore, that it is only by fortifying the weak portions of the body that the germs of disease can be resisted and driven from the system. But this has proved almost an impossibility heretofore, and it has been the study of physicians for years how beet to accomplish it. Within the past few years however, a preparation has been attracting oreat attention, not only throughout the entire land, but among the medical profession And and scientists generally, which is based upon this theory, and it may aafely belaid no remedy has ever been found which can so successfully place the system in a condition to resist the germs of disease as Warners Safe Cuio. ibis article is unquestionably the best and most efficient that has over been discovered for the purpose, and—- “ John, say, John, does the oacyclopcediu advertise Warner s bafe Cure I “Ishould not wonder, dear; us a grand remedy, and that pamphlet we received the other day stated that l)i Gann, of the United States Medici! College endorsed it. At all events, the wonderful euros it is accomplishing entitle it to he honorably noted among the groat diecoveodes of the present century. Ho wever the facts above stated m >y ho, ;■ the ttratb remains, that the germ theory of disease is the correct oue, and that the i ~reafc remedy mentioned is the only one 1 which has over been found that can put the system in u condition to kill those germs before they obtain » hold upon the body and undermine the life.