Germs

There is no doubt that the mortality was much diminished, as I said before, by the flight of the population, which commenced soon after the outbreak ; but the attacks had so far diminished before the use of the water was stopped, that it is impossible to decide whether the well still contained the cholera poison in an active state, or whether, from some cause, the water had become free from it.

There is no doubt that the mortality was much diminished, as I said before, by the flight of the population, which commenced soon after the outbreak. But the attacks had so far diminished before the use of the water was stopped, that it is impossible to decide whether the well still contained the cholera poison in an active state, or whether, from some cause, the water had become free from it.

Of all those who recover from typhoid fever something like four per cent. carry about with them the germs of the disease for long periods of time. They are “carriers” in fact, and can, like Mary, become centers for secondary infection. There are at the present moment probably 560 such persons in the state of New York, representing four per cent. of the 14,000 cases of typhoid fever occurring during the past year. How many must be added to that number to allow for the “hold-overs” coming down from previous years it would be hard to guess. Others will be added during the year to come.

Of all those who recover from typhoid fever something like four percent carry about with them the germs of the disease for long periods of time. They are “carriers” in fact, and can, like Mary, become centers for secondary infection. There are at the present moment probably 560 such persons in the state of New York, representing four percent of the 14,000 cases of typhoid fever occurring during the past year. How many must be added to that number to allow for the “hold-overs” coming down from previous years it would be hard to guess. Others will be added during the year to come.

Bacteriologists who have studied influenza epidemics in the past have found in many of the cases a very small rod-shaped germ called, after its discoverer, Pfeiffer’s bacillus. In other cases of apparently the same kind of disease there were found pneumococci, the germs of lobar pneumonia. Still others have been caused by streptococci, and by other germs with long names.

Bacteriologists who have studied influenza epidemics in the past have found in many of the cases a very small rod-shaped germ called, after its discoverer, Pfeiffer’s bacillus. In other cases of apparently the same kind of disease there were found pneumococci, the germs of lobar pneumonia. Still others have been caused by streptococci, and by other germs with long names.

This is the last word medical science has to say with respect to the basic cause of influenza; the bacillus is to be regarded as its cause. But why should we regard the bacillus as the cause? To arbitrarily regard the bacillus as cause is to beg the question. It is clear, however, that medical science has no idea of how to ascertain the cause. Whatever else it may be, viewing the bacillus as the cause is unscientific. What a thing is and does, that is what science seeks to explain. Scientific knowledge is based upon facts, and deals with laws, but has no relation to dogmatic opinions.

This is the last word medical science has to say with respect to the basic cause of influenza: the bacillus is to be regarded as its cause. But why should we regard the bacillus as the cause? To arbitrarily regard the bacillus as cause is to beg the question. It is clear, however, that medical science has no idea of how to ascertain the cause. Whatever else it may be, viewing the bacillus as the cause is unscientific. What a thing is and does, that is what science seeks to explain. Scientific knowledge is based upon facts, and deals with laws, but has no relation to dogmatic opinions.