ease, such as
Grippe, the bacteria will overcome our reserve vitality, and consumption
will graft itself on our weakened system.

How do these germs work?

They lodge on some part of the lung tissue and burrow into it. They make
a nest for themselves and begin work immediately. They live on the lung
tissue, they multiply rapidly, they produce--as a result of their
activity--a poisonous substance. Because of their eating up, as it were,
the lung tissue we often find holes (cavities) in the lungs of
consumptives. By breeding rapidly they require more and more room, so
they invade more and more of the lung tissue and destroy it. The
poisonous substance which they produce is absorbed by the blood. Its
effect on the blood is to weaken it, and when the blood becomes weak the
vitality declines, so that the patient loses weight, appetite, and
strength. The poison also produces fever, and so the long, weary fight
goes on till death claims the patient.

WHAT HAPPENS IF WE INHALE THESE BACTERIA, AND CONSUMPTION DOES NOT
DEVELOP.--In order to understand the answer to this question it is
necessary to explain certain facts concerning the white blood cells. The
white blood cells can pass through a blood vessel and back into it again
without leaving any hole in the wall of the blood vessel.

The function of the white blood cells is to wander around and if they
discover any stray bacteria, whose presence is undesirable, it is their
duty to get rid of it as quickly as possible. The white blood cell may
therefore be likened to a detective whose duty it is to arrest any
suspicious character who comes into the city. When a white blood cell
discovers a strange microbe it immediately surrounds and encloses it
within itself, just as your hand can enclose any small object, such as a
cent or a dime. It then promptly goes to the nearest blood vessel,
enters it, and is carried away in the blood stream. If we are in good
health our blood cells are alert, active, and capable of defending us
against any invading foe in the form of a microbe or bacteria. If we are
not in good health the bacteria may overcome the white blood cells. If
we inhale a large number of the consumptive bacteria at one time, and
they succeed in getting into the lung substance, they are immediately
met by an army of blood cells, all bent on capturing them. An actual
battle is fought and the deciding factor of the battle will be the
condition of the patient. If there is plent