The Blood and its Third Element

Book excerpt: The Blood and its Third Element is Béchamp’s explanation of his position, and his defense of it against Pasteur’s mischief. This final major work of Béchamp’s embodies the culmination of his life’s research. This book contains, in detail, the elements of the microzymian theory of the organization of living organisms and organic materials. It has immediate and far reaching relevance to the fields of immunology, bacteriology, and cellular biology; and it shows that more than 100 years ago, the germ, or microbian, theory of disease was demonstrated by Béchamp to be without foundation. There is no single cause of disease. The ancients thought this, and Béchamp proved it and was written out of history for his trouble. The relevance of his work to the dilemmas that plague modern medical science remains as yet unrealized. CONTENTS Publisher’s Preface Translator’s Preface Author’s Preface Introductory and Historical Chapter 1 — On the nature of fibrin isolated from the clot or obtained by whipping the blood. — The blood fibrin. — Fibrinous microzymas. — Fibrin and oxygenated water. — The ferment of fibrin. Chapter 2 — On the actual specific individuality of the albuminoid proximate principles. — The albuminoids. — Coagulation. — The albuminoids of the fibrin. — The albuminoids of the serum. — Haemoglobin. Haemoglobin and oxygenated water. Chapter 3 — The state of the fibrin in the blood at the moment of venesection. — The fibrin without microzymas. — The haematic microzymian molecular granulations. Chapter 4 — The real structure of the red blood globule. — The microzymas of the blood globules. — The blood globules in general. Chapter 5 — The real nature of the blood at the moment of bleeding. — The living parts of the blood protoplasm. — The unchangeable character of mixtures of proximate principles. — The vitellin microzymas and the blood globules. — The vascular system. Chapter 6 — The real chemical, anatomical and physiological meaning of the coagulation of the shed blood. — Coagulation of the blood. — The blood of the horse. — The serum of the blood. — Coagulation of blood diluted with water. — Second phase of the spontaneous alteration of the blood in calcined air. — Oxygen has no share in the destruction of the globules in the defibrinated blood. — Spontaneous alteration of flesh. Spontaneous alteration of milk. — Fermentation of the egg. — Spontaneous destruction of the cellule of yeast. — Spontaneous destruction of tissues. — Spontaneous alteration of the blood. Chapter 7 — The blood is a flowing tissue and therefore spontaneously alterable. — Pasteur and the germs of the air. — Robin and the alteration of the blood. — Microzymas and spores of schizomycetes. — Microzymas and micrococcus. — The microzymas and the circulatory system. — Comparison of the microzymas of the blood, the circulatory system, and other tissues. — Autonomy of the microzymas. Chapter 8 — The microzymas and bacteriology. — Ovular and vitellin microzymas. — Microzymas and molecular granulations. — Geological microzymas. — Biological characteristics of microzymas. — Microzymas and their perennity. — Microzymas and pathology. Phagocytosis. — Microzymas and anthrax. Microzymas and disease. — Microzymas and microbes. — Microzymas and the individual coefficient. — Microzymas, life and death. — Microzymas, blood and protoplasm. — Conclusions.