Germs of cholera (metaphor)
The visitor shows very eager interest in germs and bacterium of cholera, and after looking at them in the microscope he notices that “not so much to see after all. Little streaks and shreds of pink, and yet those little particles might multiply and devastate a city”. The metaphor represents that it is not size that matters but the contents; people forget that there are things that are invisible to the eye but still can kill most of them.
Chained cholera (metaphor)
Showing the visitor a tube with bacteria, the bacteriologist calls it “bottled cholera”; actually it is an actual living disease bacteria. The bacteriologist’s attitude towards a single bacteria as an entire disease shows his deep desire that all the bacteria of diseases would vanish, and later calling it again “pestilence imprisoned” proves this idea.
Warriors of death (metaphor)
The bacteriologist depicts a rather horrid picture, telling what would happen if this bacteria is let go. To add to the atmosphere, personification is also used and the bacteria is introduced as “he/him”. Here is what the bacteriologist said: “he would take the husband from the wife, here the child from its mother, here the statesman from his duty; he would follow the water-mains, creeping along streets, picking out and punishing a house here and there”. Referring to a bacterium as a real person the author wants to remind people that they are not omnipotent, and the visitors adds: “those anarchist-rascals are fools to use bombs when this kind of thing is attainable”. Thus, the bacteria are represented as real warriors of death.
