PREFACE. This work is an attempt to reveal to the reader those living beings of the Invisible World which most concern us. The author is not aware that any other work, similar in plan and scope, has been published. Fragmentary parts of the general subject have been treated, but even these have usually appeared in so technical terms as to be of little, if any, avail to the general publie. The aim here has been to cover the entire field, and in so plain and simple language that whoever reads may understand. With this aim in view, Microbes In General are first considered, their nature, functions, origin. Invisible Friends come next, their characteristics, where they live, what they do for us, how they do it. This prepares the way the better to understand Our Invisible Foes, the chief purpose of this book. Forty-four different germs are treated as the active causes of forty-four different diseases. A brief chapter is devoted to each germ showing what the germ is, how it enters the body, how it causes the disease, how, if possible, the disease may be cured, and, better still, how to prevent the disease. protection Against Our Invisible Foes is next in order, and has its full share of attention.The work concludes with Victory - Its Reward - the great hope of final conquest and its infinite value to mankind. So-called doctors books are usually, if not al ways, written by doc ors, exclusively in the interests of their profession. This book is written by a layman, exclusively in the interests of laymen. Evidently the need for some such work, at the present time, is wide-spread and strikes deep. The fact t. hat one-seventh of the human race die of a single disease caused by a single invisible foe, is wonderful. The fact that this disease is yet, with the right intelligence, easily preventable,-as well as all other contagious and infectious diseases,-is, if possible, still more wonderful. It shows how deep the want of the right intelligence among the people generally. That this book may do something to turn on the searchlight is the hope of THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS PBEFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BOOK FIRST-MICROBES IN GENERAL PABT I-WHAT THEY ABE CHAPTER PAGE I THEIB NAME . . . . . . . . . . 3 . I1 THEIB SPECIFIC NATURE . . . . . . . 6 I11 THEIB SIZE . . . . . . . . . . 8 MICBOBES EAT AND EXCRETE . . . . . . 10 V MICROBES E CAVE LOCOMOTION . . . . . . 1 1 V1 THEYP ROPAGAT . E . . . . . . . . . 1 3 V11 THEIE ONENESS O F ACTION . . . . . . . l 6 V111 THEIE NUMBERS . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 IX DIFFERERTK INDS . . . . . . . . . 1 9 X THEIB PLAC I E N NATURE . 21 XI GOOD AND BAD . . . . . . . . . . 23 XI1 MAY BE CULTIVATE . D . . . . . . . . . 2 5 XI11 A L CLHEEM ISTBY . . . . . . . . 3 1 XIV A LITTLE PHYSIC . S . . . . . . . . 3 5 XV THE ORIGIN OF ATTE . B . . . . . . . 4 0 XVI ORIGIN OF THE MICROBE . . . . . . 43 XVII THE P SYCHIFCA CULT OF Y M ICBOBES . 45 XVIII THE CELL as A MICROBE . . . . . . . 4 7 BOOK SECOND-OUR INVISIBLE FRIENDS XIX THE MICROBE O F BEEB . . . . . . . . 6 6 XX THE MICROBE O F WINE . . . . . . . . 7 0 XXI THE MCRO O B F E C IDEB . 73 XXII THE MICBOBE OF ALCOHOL . 76 XXXXIIIVI TTHHEE MMIICCB OBB O EE OF F B M E I E L A K D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 8 6 1 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XXV THE MICROBE OF BUTTEB . 90 XXVI THE MICROBE OF CHEESE . 95 XXVII THE MICROBE OF VINEGAR . . 101 MICROBES O F THE FARM XXVIII THE GROWING P LANT . 105 XXIX MICROBE A S S ENRICHER O S F THE SOIL . . 111 XXX How PLANT T S A KE FOOD F ROM THE AIR . . l16 XXXI AIR FOOD AND MICBOBES ...