president's address. 871 



cultivated lost its power of producing disease by inoculation. 

 Dr. Greenfield has confirmed this, and has found that after about 

 six generations it looses its infective property." 



' ' Then as experiments proceeded the modified Bacillus anthracis 

 was found capable of growing in an acid hay infusion, and 

 presented in every respect the characters of the hay-bacillus ; and 

 ultimately the converse feat was accomplished by Buchner. The 

 Bacillus anthracis so developed were introduced into the mouse 

 and the rabbit. Large quantities of it caused death rapidly from 

 chemical tonic effects ; when smaller amounts were injected after 

 the period of these primary effects had passed, a fatal disease 

 supervened, attended, as in anthrax, with great swelling of the 

 spleen, the blood of which was found peopled with newly-formed 

 Bacilli ; and the spleens affected in this way were found to com- 

 municate anthrax to healthy animals." 



Supposing these results to be trustworthy, I need scarcely point 

 out their transcendent importance as bearing upon the origin of 

 infective diseases and their modifications as exhibited in epidemics. 

 Dr. Brantlecht has repeatedly found a species of bacillus in the 

 water used for drinking by the inhabitants of affected districts. 

 These organisms he found only half as thick as a similar organism 

 found in the urine of patients suffering from typhus fever. The 

 difference in the effect of water containing this typhoid-producing 

 bacillus, compared to water holding other forms, is very marked. 

 Such water is not fetid, like water containing great masses of the 

 Bacterium termo, but smells somewhat like boiled milk. Such 

 water has been found by Dr. Brantlecht not to be deprived of its 

 power of producing typhoid if distilled rapidly, but if boiled for 

 some time it is rendered harmless at ordinary temperatures ; it 

 grows in spring water very slowly. These Bacilli are found to 

 abound in the urinary excreta of typhoid fever patients. 



This is another step in the right direction, and will easily 

 answer those who ask — What good is to be expected from such 

 2D 



