M. MATERIA MEDIC A, THERAPEUTICS, AND HYGIENE. 5 85 



to cholera. Cultivation does, however, succeed in developing 

 from the cyst certain cryptogamic bodies, although only three 

 per cent, of the experiments were successful, and similar cysts 

 were found to be developed in discharges other than choleraic. 

 The bodies resembling spores, so common in cholera dischar- 

 ges, Dr. Lewis finds to be either globules of a fatty nature, 

 altered blood-cells, corpuscles imbedded in a tenacious sub- 

 stance, or a globular condition of certain infusoria. 



The subject of the so-called micrococcus, which Dr. Hallier 

 supposed to be the germ of cholera, Dr. Lewis examined crit- 

 ically, without being able to find any evidence to prove the 

 existence of such bodies or having such relations. 



The general results reached by Dr. Lewis, as summed up 

 by him, are, first, that no cysts exist in choleraic discharges 

 which are not found under other conditions ; second, that 

 cysts or " sporangia" of fungi are very rarely found under 

 any circumstances in alvine discharges; third, that no special 

 fungus has been developed in cholera discharges, the fungus 

 described by Hallier being certainly not confined to such ; 

 fourth, that there are no animalcular developments, either as 

 to nature or proportionate amount, peculiar to cholera, and 

 that the same organisms may be developed in nitrogenous 

 material even outside the body ; last, that the supposed de- 

 bris of intestinal epithelium is not of this origin, but appears 

 to result from effused blood plasma. 12 A, March 16,392. 



PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF QUININE. 



An eminent native physician in India, in discussing the 

 physiological action of quinine in malaria, remarks that the 

 symptoms in the early stages of disease show that the force 

 of the poison is expended upon the ganglionic system of 

 nerves, and, as the circulatory apparatus is under the direct 

 control of this system, we can easily understand why influ- 

 ences exerted over the latter may modify its governing pow- 

 er. In a word, the effect of the malaria is concentrated upon 

 the ganglionic centres of the system, altering their functions 

 in such a way as to disturb the circulation and secretions of 

 the body, to paralyze the blood-vessels, and lead to inflamma- 

 tion, hypertrophy, or death ; in short, acting as a sedative to 

 the sympathetic nervous centres. Quinine now acts as a 

 nervine tonic to the organic system, counteracting the morbid 



Bb2 



