Алая чума

           Andthuswesawallthesethingswhichoureyesofthemselvescouldnotsee. Takeagrainofsand.Breakitintotenpieces. Takeonepieceandbreakitintoten.Breakoneofthosepiecesintoten,andoneofthoseintoten,andoneofthoseintoten,andoneofthoseintoten,anddoitallday,andmaybe,bysunset,youwillhaveapieceassmallasoneofthegerms.” Theboyswereopenlyincredulous. Hare-LipsniffedandsneeredandHoo-Hoosnickered,untilEdwinnudgedthemtobesilent. 

           “Thewoodticksucksthebloodofthedog,butthegerm,beingsoverysmall,goesrightintothebloodofthebody,andthereithasmanychildren. Inthosedaystherewouldbeasmanyasabillion—acrab-shell,please—asmanyasthatcrab-shellinoneman’sbody. Wecalledgermsmicro-organisms. Whenafewmillion,orabillion,ofthemwereinaman,inallthebloodofaman,hewassick. Thesegermswereadisease. Thereweremanydifferentkindsofthem—moredifferentkindsthantherearegrainsofsandonthisbeach. Weknewonlyafewofthekinds. Themicro-organicworldwasaninvisibleworld,aworldwecouldnotsee,andweknewverylittleaboutit. Yetwedidknowsomething. Therewasthebacillusanthracis;therewasthemicrococcus;therewastheBacteriumtermo,andtheBacteriumlactis—that’swhatturnsthegoatmilksoureventothisday,Hare-Lip; andtherewereSchizomyceteswithoutend.Andthereweremanyothers....”