220 BIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS 



easy matter, as the surface is left in ideal condition 

 for junctioning. Cicatrization is uniformly satisfac- 

 tory. The possibility of secondary infection dis- 

 appears with the last slough, and the remaining 

 spores of the Reading bacillus are destroyed by 

 the blood cells once the dead matter is removed, 

 so that no special technique is needed to get rid of 

 them. 



Here then we have the paradoxical claim that 

 septic infections may be overcome by the introduc- 

 tion of another bacillus into the infected centre, and 

 the establishment of anaerobic conditions therein. 

 We have had before us cases with a very wide range 

 of infections, all of which have been carefully followed 

 out, and although we have not had any case of active 

 gas-gangrene to deal with, the salt-pack treatment 

 has been found by others to cope with such cases 

 just as efficiently as with the aerobic infections which 

 are more common. The same can be said with regard 

 to secondary haemorrhage, which is very satisfactorily 

 dealt with by salt-pack treatment, although digestive 

 action near an injured artery, together with the fact 

 that Reading bacillus digests blood clots, would really 

 seem thoroughly improper if we allowed ourselves to 

 be guided by a priori ideas. Here again experiment 

 outruns hypothesis. 



The extreme simplicity of the method is ideal under 

 war conditions. There is no need to wait until the 

 casualty can be removed to a base, or to England, 

 before constructive treatment is commenced. At the 

 advanced dressing-station is none too soon to start, 

 instead of leaving men, with inadequate attention, to 

 go from bad to worse. Even without the initial pos- 

 sibility of surgical opening up of the wound, all that 

 is primarily required is that an ampoule of the culture 

 should be broken over the injured part and dressings 



