19 



him to inject some of the liquid from the neighbourhood of 

 the previous inoculation, which was on the ear. As he 

 expected the Bacillus failed, but to his surprise the Micro- 

 coccus grew freely, and caused the death of the animal in a 

 few days by extensive gangrene — i.e., in another way alto- 

 gether. Putrid Blood was then put under the skin of 

 rabbits. Here again a different result was produced ; exten- 

 sive spreading abscesses were formed, and the animals died 

 in from 12 — 15 days. On examination the blood was found 

 free from organisms, and its injection into other animals had 

 no effect. On the other hand the walls of the abscesses were 

 found to consist of Zooglsea masses of extremely minute 

 Micrococci, the smallest he had yet observed ; he estimates 

 their diameter approximately at the 167,000th in. The germ- 

 containing materials from these abscesses readily repro- 

 duced the disease in other animals. Other similar experi- 

 ments were tried ; but I need not detain you further. 



What now does all this go to show? — First, that in 

 Septicaemia the wound becomes infected by organisms, and 

 similar organisms are found in the tissues and blood. — 

 Secondly, that putrid blood contains a variety of Bacterial 

 forms, and if this blood is put under the skin of animals, in 

 all probability a fatal disease is set up. This disease varies 

 in its nature in different animals, and further by repeated 

 inoculation through several animals the virulence of the 

 poison can be vastly increased. Microscopical examination 

 reveals the fact, that the various organisms present in the 

 original putrid blood are not propagated indiscriminately, but 

 one particular form, finding a suitable soil, grows freely, 

 while the rest die. The particular disease, and a particular 

 organism always being found together. Further, the disease 

 can only be transmitted by inoculating with tissues or liquids, 

 which contain these organisms. Just as in Lister's experi- 

 ments with milk, wherever the inoculable poison is present 

 there are organisms, and if tliere are no organisms there is 

 no poison. 



With the view of determining more exactly the relation 



