Communications. 327 



experiments of M.^Pasteur, and Prof. Salmon of our own country, 

 in the innoculation of cattle, sheep and chickens with the attenu- 

 ated virus containing the germs found in splenic fever and 

 chicken cholera, have led many to indorse these opinions ; but 

 the same experiments, and others in the same line with the germs 

 found in other diseases, have not been attended with like satis- 

 factory results. "We give a few opinions on this point. 



Prof. Roberta of Manchester, England, as the result of his 

 investigation, says that septic bacteria are not parasitic on 

 living healthy tissue. They constantly enter our bodies in the 

 air we breathe, the food we eat; they come in contact with cuts, 

 sores and scratches that are often found on our jQesh, but 

 without injurious effect unless the tissues are already dead. 

 Could they breed the same in living tissue as where decay has 

 commenced, animal life would be impossible. 



The following is a condensed statement of the views of Prof. 

 Lionel Beal, F. R S., a distinguished English physician and 

 microscopist : " The tongue is constantly covered by whole 

 forests of bacteria. Millions pass into the stomach whenever we 

 swallow. It is the same with all animals. Every vegetable and 

 fruit and leaf also contain countless numbers. So does the air 

 we breathe and the water we drink. All disintegration and de- 

 ' cay facilitates the growth of this minute vegetation. It is cer- 

 tain now that bacteria in large quantities are constantly passing 

 into the alimentary canal of men and animals without doing 

 harm. There is probably not a part of the body of any one of 

 us, one-quarter of an inch in diameter, where their germs are not 

 present So small are they that they pass freely into the sub- 

 stance of every organ. They exist within us, even in the blood, 

 without disturbing us in any way." 



In disease their numbers are vastly increased. " I have seen 

 every pirt of the stomach, the small and large intestines, filled 

 with curdled milk which, when placed under the microscope, 

 seemed to be almost composed of bacteria. But this probably 

 did not originate the disorder, but resulted from the prior diseased 

 state of the secretions. It is still an open question whether in- 

 fectious diseases originate from some special kind of death-carrying 



