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suggestions and advice concerning our medicine-chest."
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"Indeed!" replied Dr. Germiny, "a thorough knowledge of bacteriology is the
groundwork of therapeutics. It is practically admitted that every ailment,
with the exception of mechanical injuries, is the direct result of a specific
germ; and even in accidents and simple fractures, no matter what may be the
nature of the bruise, a micro-organism soon announces its presence, so that if
not the parent, it is the inseparable companion, in fact the shadow, of
disease. Now, though not the first cause in this instance, it has been
indubitably proved, that much of the effect, the fever and pain, are produced
and continued by the active, omnipresent, sleepless sperm. Either kill the
micrococcus or heal the wound, and you are free from both. It being,
therefore, granted that the ills of life are in the air, we have but to find
the peculiar nature of the case in hand, its habits, tastes, and constitution,
in order to destroy it. Impoverish the soil on which it thrives, before its
arrival, if you can foresee the nature of the inoculation to which you will be
exposed, by a dilute solution of itself, and supply it only with what it
particularly dislikes. For an already established tubercle requiring rapid
action of the blood, such as
-108-
may well exist among the birds and vertebrates of Jupiter and Saturn, I
suggest a hypodermic rattlesnake injection, while hydrocyanic acid and
tarantula saliva may also come in well. The combinations that so long
destroyed us have already become our panacea."
"I see you have these poisons at your fingers' ends," said Ayrault, "and we
shall feel the utmost confidence in the remedies and directions you
prescribe."
They found that, in addition to their medicine-chest, they would have to make
room for the following articles, and also many more: six shot-guns (three
double-barrel 12-bores, three magazine 10-bores,)
three rifles, three revolvers; a large supply of ammunition (explosive and
solid balls), hunting-knives, fishing-tackle, compass, sextant, geometrical
instruments, canned food for forty days, appliance for renewing air, clothing,
rubber boots, apergetic apparatus, protection-wires, aneroid barometer, and
kodaks.
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Chapter 1.8
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A Journey in Other Worlds
GOOD-BYE.
At last the preparations were completed, and it was arranged that the Callisto
should begin its journey at eleven o'clock A. M., December 21st -- the
northern hemisphere's shortest day.
Though six months' operations could hardly be expected to have produced much
change in the inclination of the earth's axis, the autumn held on wonderfully,
and December was pronounced very mild.
Fully a million people were in and about Van Cortlandt Park hours before the
time announced for the start, and those near looked inquiringly at the trim
little air-ship, that, having done well on the trial trip, rested on her
longitudinal and transverse keels, with a battery of chemicals alongside, to
make sure of a full power supply.
The President and his Cabinet-including, of
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course, the shining lights of the State and Navy Departments -- came from
Washington. These, together with Mr. and Mrs. Preston, and a number of people
with passes, occupied seats arranged at the sides of the platform; while
sightseers and scientists assembled from every part of the world.
"There's a ship for you!" said Secretary Stillman to the Secretary of the
Navy. "She'll not have to be dry-docked for barnacles, neither will the least
breeze make the passengers sick."
"That's all you landlubbers think of," replied Deepwaters. "I remember one of
the kings over in
Europe said to me, as he introduced me to the queen: `Your Secretary of State
is a great man, but why does he always part his hair in the middle?'
"`So that it shall not turn his head,' I replied.
"`But with so gallant and handsome an officer as you to lean upon,' he
answered, `I should think he could look down on all the world.' Whereupon I
asked him what he'd take to drink."
"Your apology is accepted," replied Secretary Stillman.
Cortlandt also came from Washington, where, as chief of the Government's
Expert Examiners Board, -111-
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