ats, or albuminous matter, which may be
decomposed abnormally and give rise to toxic products, _e.g._, diabetic
intoxication, coma carcinomatosum.

(_b_) A _contagium vivum_ enters the body through the skin, or the
respiratory or digestive tract, and develops toxic agents in the tissues
on which it feeds, as in infectious diseases.

In the third group the toxic substance results from pathological
non-toxic products, which again produce a toxic agent, only under
certain conditions. This group he calls auto-toxicoses, and includes in
it poisonous substances, resulting from decomposition of the urine in
the bladder, under certain pathological conditions, and giving rise to
the condition called ammoniaemia. (_Medical News_ of January 7, 1891;
from _Wiener klinische Wochenschrift_ of December 25, 1890.)

As observed above, unfortunately the patients know nothing, nor can they
be made to understand these conditions, that are only reached through
labyrinthic pathological processes, and, what is still worse, this way
of looking at disease is incompatible with the idea of specific-disease
treatment, which to them looks more practicable and quick, and which is
also more to their liking. They cannot see any sense in such reasoning,
which to them is something eminently impracticable; neither can they see
a reasonable being in the doctor who practices on such, as they call
them, _theories_.

The practical physician, however, sees in Professor von Jaksch's
summary the turning-point of many a poor fellow's career,--from one of
comparative health into one of organic disintegration, decay, and
dissolution,--all the required processes starting visibly from the very
smallest of beginnings; any obstruction in the urinary tract or
intestinal canal being sufficient to start any of the conditions which
end in toxaemia; and, from a careful observation running over several
years, I do not think that I am assuming too much in saying that a
balanitis is often the tiny match that lights the train that later
explodes in an apoplectic attack or sudden heart-failure due to toxaemia;
the organic and vascular systems being gradually undermined until,
unannounced and unawares, the ground gives way and the final catastrophe
occurs,--unfortunately, an occurrence or ending looked upon as
unavoidable by the friends of the victim. They cannot see any danger;
the idea that diseases have the road paved, not only for an easy
entrance but an easy conquest, b