Show MOST PROLIFIC OF MICROBES appalling rate of increase of anthrax limited by certain wise provisions of nature the microbe which causes the dread wool sorters disease or anthrax Is a tiny fellow only one throe three thousandth part of tin an inch in length rather more than six sh million could nestle comfortably side by side on the surface of a postage tamp stamp it multiplies not by laying eggs nit but by splitting itself in two this splitting process takes place once every halt hour tit at the end of which time the microbe has become two full fall sized ties ones joined together like the links of n chain the chain Is still not a very long one hut but let us see what bhae would occur if nothing happened to stop its growth for a whole lay day doubling its length every half hour it would meas ure nil an inch and a n half in six hours fourteen hours would see j t a mile and a liala long in twenty two nil and a liali hours it would stretch from the earth to the moon while in twenty four hours it would attain a length of CS miles such tin an appalling rate of increase Is prevented in three ways the nil mi clobes cannot find the huge masses of food ne necessary cesary for their growth they are destroyed by sunlight and they prey upon each other |