XVIL] SEPTIC AND PATHOGENIC ORGANISMS. 221 



Augenheilk. June 1883) ascertained that when an infusion of 

 the jequirity seeds is made of the strength of about half per 

 cent., this infusion after some hours to a few days contains 

 numerous bacilli, motile, capable of forming spores, and in 

 all respects identical with a bacillus subtilis. The bacilli 

 are about 0*00058 mm. thick, and from 0*002 to 0^0045 mm. 

 long. They form a pellicle on the surface of the infusion, 

 and in the bacilli of this pellicle active spore formation is 

 going on. The bacilli grow and multiply well at a tempera- 

 ture of about 35 C., but also, only slower, at ordinary 

 temperature. Sattler cultivated artificially the bacilli on 

 blood-serum gelatine and meat extract peptone gelatine, both 

 solid media, and continued their growth through several 

 successive cultivations. Both the infusions of the jequirity 

 and the bacilli taken from these artificial cultures inoculated 

 into the conjunctiva of healthy rabbits produce severe 

 ophthalmia, leading to the production of great cedematous 

 swelling of the conjunctiva and eyelids, and temporary 

 closure of the latter, and to the secretion of purulent 

 exudation. Both the exudation and the swollen lids are 

 said to contain infective bacilli and their spores. Sattler 

 ascertained by many experiments, that none of the bacilli and 

 the spores distributed in the atmosphere had those specific 

 properties, viz., to excite ophthalmia, as long as they grow 

 in other than jequirity fluid, but having had access, i.e. having 

 entered the jequirity infusion, assume here this specific 

 power. There is no doubt that Sattler worked the whole 

 problem with great care, worked out all points connected 

 with it in great detail, and for this reason his work was 

 considered to have for the first time unmistakably established 

 that a harmless bacillus, owing to the particular soil in which 

 it grew, assumes definite specific or pathogenic properties. 

 To me this jequirity bacillus had a great interest, since I was 



