GERMS

The ‘germ theory of disease’ may be briefly stated to be that which supposes the cause of epidemic and contagious maladies to be due to the agency of specific, inconceivably small germs,—different germs giving rise to different diseases. These disease germs gaining an entrance by means of air, water, or food into the healthy body, and being po e ed of extraordinary powers of increase and subdivision, are supposed to set up the particular disease, and at the same time to multiply to an incredible extent by feeding upon the ti ues best suited for their support. Further, they are conceived to be thrown off into the atmosphere from the body of the patient, whence they are conveyed as before described into other healthy animal organism, in which, comporting themselves as in the previous case, they set up a similar disease. See Bacteria as originators of disease .