Show MICROBES AT WAR A wonderful of modern science the revelations of the microscope as to the existence of myriads of microbes mic robes in our bodies as well as in all that we eat and drink has caused timid people much anxious wonderment as to why these creatures are not more injurious and destructive than they actually are writing in the speaker sir henry explains how it is that oven the deadliest of these microbes mic robes may bo found in the mouth or other parts of the body and yet their host bo healthy the question is not one of the mere presence of these organisms in the body but entirely one as to whether or not they find their way into the blood if they do not all is well it they do the most serious trouble follows working with the microscope in M pasteur s laboratory in paris a russian physician M has been able to discover tho secret of the impotence of the microbe to penetrate into the blood these most recent investigations show that thero are certain cells contained in the blood of all the higher animals termed phagocytes and identical with the well known white blood corpuscles corpus cles which arc endowed with the power of independent motion and not only wander inside but even make their way outside tho tissue and pursue devour and digest any bacilli whether poisonous or not with which they como in contact this is in reality the true battle of life which although hitherto unknown and unobserved is constantly going on within the body these phagocytes which are the watchful guardians of the body attack and annihilate the bacilli before they can penetrate tho blood tissues so long as they remain on guard the body is safe from attack but should they from any cause relax their vigilance then the invading army of parasites would pass into the system and destroy life either by the numerous mechanical lesions which it produces or by the poison which it secretes this apparently independent lifo of tb within the organism is one of tho most marvo loHS revelations of modern science as well as a remarkable illustration of the extreme nicety of the balance of nature |