MOTHERS, READ THIS!

Wanganui Herald, Volume L, Issue 14773, 29 November 1915, Page 8

MOTHERS, READ THIS!

THE ADVENTURES OF A DIARRHOEA DERM. (By G. Manning.) "Wake up children, wake up,” cries Dad. "the sun is right overhead, and it is time no made a start.” We all jump up from our bods of mud in the bottom of the lank at his cry, for hasn't lie promised us that now the weather is favourable he will take us into the outside world to pastures now. Thero has boon no rainfall now for many weeks, and the temperature of our surroundings is just delightful, it being between 85 and 90-degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that we germs simpiy •revel in. and so naturally we are in the best of health and are feeling fit and readv for the adventures which await us in the world beyond the great crinkle walls of this iron tank, "Arabella Bacillus.” cries mother indignantly as she scuttles through the water pipe with the test of her offspring, "Come along and don’t keep us waiting. What matter if your fringe is not curled this morning, it is only a picnic we arc going to. Anyone would think that young Mr Microbe was coming to court yon; huiry now, for father is waiting.” At last we all arrive safely with the stream of water to the tap. and we are warned to keep well together, for when it is tinned on there is sure to he a scrimmage. On hearing this, mother (olleets her last hatch of little ones, who only this morning burst their spores, and she inns her eye affectionately over the rest of ns to make quite sure that nous have been left behind- Suddenly thenis a roar like thunder, which shakes us from the sides of the pipes to which we are clinging, and before we can realisetlie meaning of it there is a gush of water from the rear which carries us off our I'ihu and sweeps us into the outer ; world with such force that it takes some , little while to recover our senses again. We find mirselvcs swimming about in a large enamel bowl in the middle of which floats a huge black mountain, all hollow within, and with a great hole in its apex. Dad is ascending in rapid stride:, -•ailing loudly for us to follow, and much to our surprise wo find it is mad.- of c, ,(>it spongy substance, so soft indeed that we can easily bury ourselves in it, ;itdit out of sight. "This is a rubber teat for a babv’s .ceding bottle,” says Dad, “the very best excursion boat we could board for •nr nip, for it takes us right to ouv picnic ground.” Just at this moment a great creature romes along, and, glaring her hand over ns, which appears to us like a five-acre paddock with five telegraph poles for lingers, carries us. tent and all, away. "Just fancy.” cries mother, "Eve l-i-aid say that we are so small that these human beings cannot even see us,” "Tut, tut, woman,” cries Dad indignantly as he miffs out his ehest, ‘‘What, nonsense you talk!” I riiight tell you. here, that Dad is very proud of his phyique and pi ides himself on being the T-st developed germ in our water tank, 'O mother who has learned wisdom ike most much-married women, holds her peace. "We’re safe now.” says Dad, "as long .s thev are not if set of fads who hoi! vei vtliing before putting it bear n baby. don’t hold with boiling water!'l say 1 don’t hold with it!” and he looks round for opposition, but as none is iitheoniing the matter drops. Luckily 1 >r us they are not so-railed fads, and - ur • pleasure boat without anv more do is fixed firmlv on to the neck of a ■nt.tle which is full of milk, the smell eing most appetising, lor milk is what ve germs have a craving for front the •our of birth- In a few seconds we are irolullv placed inside a soft warm eavi v. and with a flow of milk behind we .\ilv skedaddle down the long tunnel . t m<-1i Dad' (tills the besophagus, and uito a huge oval shaped'bag below. So oft and delicate is this receptacle that , seems a sin that people like us should he allowed to walk around in onr hoboai! boots to spoil the covering, which is unde of a most delicate substance . nown as miieuous membrane. ‘‘How beautiful," cries mother in eotasv. "Oil. Bac, dear, what a lovely ’wall aper; did you ever see anything so •oft iu your tile before. 1 '” "Too delicate; ton delicate by far!” -■ays Dad testily; "won’t stand touchon : wnv. look at that and as lie rubs lii> hands over the daintily tinted wall, it roughens the. delicate surface, leaving 4;in and inflamed patches behind. We are moving around the room in au even motion, the milk swirling about, curving us with it. Much to our surprise we run up against quite a number i f our relations, cousins, second cousins, uucies and aunts. "Hullo, Mic,” cries Dad excitedly as suddenly we find ourselves rubbing shoulders with our dear old friend. Mr Microbe. "However did you get here?” continues Dad. “1 didn’t see you on board our-boat.” "Oh no.” replies Mr Microbe. ‘T came down with the milk. ] It’s wonder■ul how things happen.” he continues, "do you know , only this morning I was breakfasting with a friend of mine who ms ‘digs ’ in an old dust heap behind lolin Burnham’s vegetable shop. Yon I know tlie place, Bae?” says Mr Microbe. “Well," he continues, as Dad nods in reply, “wo were just discussing the weather and what a favourable season it was for touring, when old Joey Housefly hails along and invites us to take a spin with him. so without wasting words we hop on to his leg and arc carried off on an aerial flight, i must say he was most obliging and took us everywhere. Then we -all dropped into a bowl of milk for hutch ; but hard luck /)r him, he being such a big burly fellow, was easily spotted and hastily reimoved to—well, wno knows! So you see, Bacillus, m;, old friend ” laughs Mr Microbe, siappitig Dad affectionately on the shoulder, "there are points in being .-iiiaii after all. Oh, well,” he continued. "it’s tiree’l was on the move, my friends and I are going to ramp in the bowels about naif-way down Jejeumcm Road as soon ns over the pyloric flood gate opens to let us through.” All this tfpio the milk has been changing in appearance. It has become clotty and sour. It is travelling around the storaarh at a groat rate, and at lust with one great effort it rushes up through the opening we came down, leaving our reservoir below fairly empty. The walls are losing their smoothness; thev are becoming hot and inflamed, while a slimy substance is dropping from them at times. Before'long a fresh supply of milk comes down to us, bringing some more of our relations, and really we have developed into quite a crowd, for most ot my brothers and sisters have married, and I myself have made family ties. The weather down here is changing rapidlv. li is decidedly boisterous, and the milk curdles ns soon as it reaches us, and travels around the enclosures in turbid waves, then suddenly returns frith force, while some of it finds an exit through the Pyloric Gate at the for end of the room. The milk tastes good

to us, and it docs our hearts gootTto sen our offspring coining ou so beautifully. Hut, alas, there, seems trouble ahead, for, much to our amazement, instead in a fresh supply of our much appreciated milk being sent down to us, we find nothing but'plain h,oiled water. ■‘Humph,” says my brother Uermie, "what does this mean!” ."Mean," exclaims Dad excitedly, “tVhy, boy. it means that someone is on our track; you can always make sui-.* that your game is up when people stall pouring sterile water into a baby instea.l of milk. Why, look for yourself." iu continues. “There's not a living creatine in that last lot that came down. 1 tell you our game is up!" Different parties pooh-pooh at Dad's wor—s, but we take his advice and make our way through the gate to take up quarters further on; but much to ou consternation when arriving in the bowel we tind tilings there are in the same unsettled state. A greeny watery fluid iHying past on the downward track collecting that same slimy substance from t lie inflamed walls on its way. Dad seem., worried. No doubt we have jumped out of tne irying-pun into the fire, for suddenly, without a moment's warning, w. are deluged with a force of wafer widen comes tearing up the long tunnel will, >uch force that we are knocked completely off our legs and are being carried down on its return journey. ‘‘Hah, yah !” cries my young famiiv. "It tasiis .-o nasty. V, c don’t like th'i , salty stufl ! ' And as wo go struggling along we pass poor old Mr Microbe, win. is hiding himself iu a turning in the "Hullo, Hae, is Hull your" lie cries, a we go living past. "We re having a bad time tills trip. They seem pretty deter mined t.v get rid of u-, so are trying t wadi us out with their disgusting salin injection." "Lgh!” he cries in disgust, "did you get any of their beastly cash r rir j You'll line a cranny or corner to hide in lower down; there .are heaps of them; and goed luck to yon." ■ I assure you we don’t waste a .second iu takiug our friends advice, and soon find a friendly little nook in which t ■ hide, and not a moment too soon; for up comes another jet of water, the vetur” of which carries everything before it. and we crouch into our corners for safety. We are beginning to feel famished for feed has been withheld from us fo some time now, while nothing but wn‘e has passed through the stomach. As ' peep out of my' hiding-place I see crowd of my relations being carried away in the stream. Shower after shower o water is forced un the passage past me, and weaker and weaker becomes my hold until at lad from sheer exhaustion T lose my grasp, and I am swept with the mad l-'rrent through the long, inflamed bowel-, and out into the daylight once again, where stands awaiting our arrival a. hug 'asin full of strong disinfectant which spoils sudden death to swell as I.