20 



of the organisms to these infective processes, and also of 

 answering the objection, that tliese Bacteria were merely 

 parasites or accompaniments, Klebs adopted the method of 

 what he calls fractional cultivations. He took various solids 

 and liquids from patients suffering from infective diseases, and 

 inserted them into flasks containing cultivating liquids, 

 previously carefully sterilized. After allowing time for 

 growth, an extremely small quantity of this liquid was taken 

 and put into a second flask similarly prepared. This pro- 

 cess he carried on through a series sufficiently long to ensure 

 that practically none of the liquid inserted in the first flask 

 was to be found in the last, but only later generations of the 

 living material. By inoculating animals with fluids thus 

 obtained, Klebs succeeded, not only in reproducing the 

 original disease, but also in discovering the special Micro- 

 coccus, both in the liquid, and in the animal infected. 



Thus far we have dealt only with diseases associated 

 with wounds, or produced by the inoculation of substances, 

 such as putrifying blood, which at first cannot be considered 

 as of a specific nature. I cannot, however, leave my subject 

 without saying, as briefly as possible, something as to the 

 more general diseases. Here again, of course, most of our 

 knowledge has been obtained from the investigations of these 

 affections in animals. The disease which has been, perhaps, 

 more studied than any other is one which affects both man 

 and animals. When it occurs in animals it is known in this 

 country as Splenic Fever, in France as Mai de Rate. When 

 it occurs in man it is known under the name of Malignant 

 Pustule, Anthrax, and Woolsorter's disease. It is a very 

 fatal disease among sheep and horned cattle in all parts of 

 the world. It is usually communicated to man by handling 

 portions of the body after death ; so butchers and tanners 

 may be affected ; and also those who handle the wool or hair, 

 wool sorters (whence the name), felt manufacturers, horse- 

 hair cleaners and furriers. 



The disease may also spread from one country to 

 another by these manufacturing processes. Diseased hair 



