35 
was a disputed point. He (the speaker) was very much inclined to 
agree with Dr. Klein that it was the cause of the fever, because, 
wherever they transported these germs, they found, in all pro- 
bability, fever set up. There were some points in connection with 
the subject which were very curious ones, and it was in connection 
with certain forms of disease, where it was found the introduction 
of bacteria in the blood of animals and even human beings had not 
set up the mischief supposed to result from them. It was a curious 
circumstance that bacteria, perfectly the same to all intents and 
purposes, had not set up the disease in question, and certain results 
_ of a similar character had followed from the injection of these germs. 
It might appear at first sight that this was much opposed to the de- 
ductions of Dr. Klein; but there were plenty of instances in nature 
that showed that this was not so. If they took the spores produced 
from the ordinary mushroom and placed them in a garden flower-pot 
with fine mould they would not grow. They had to be brought in 
communication with the mucous membrane of the horse, by using 
dung or by other means. There might be some point of connection 
wanted with reference to this very matter, and that it must come 
into being with certain conditions of the human economy, which 
were not necessarily always present, but that it took root and grew. 
His impression was that if a person was in perfect health—if there 
was no excretion retained in the body which ought to be out of it— 
there was no manure in him in which that fungus could grow. But 
if that person lived in a house improperly ventilated, in which 
emanations from sewers were found to exist, or lived in a confined 
situation, there was produced a ground in himself in which the 
fungus could take root, and this person was subject to typhoid 
fever. He thought this would explain some of the points which 
appeared to be doubtful at first sight. Gardeners well knew that 
there were many ways in which the plants under their care were 
altered in their character without the root being interfered with, 
and it might be that human beings had alterations take place in the 
way shown by Dr. Kle. He (Dr. Carpenter) thought the Society 
should be much obliged to Dr. Philpot for having so clearly put 
before them some of the important points in his paper. 
, 
No other member having any remarks to make, a vote of 
thanks was accorded Dr. Philpot for his interesting paper, and a 
similar compliment was paid to Dr. Carpenter for the valuable 
observations he had made. 
The following gentlemen placed their microscopes at Dr. 
Philpot’s disposal :—Messrs. J. Berney, W. H. Beeby, P. Crowley, 
J. 8. Johnson, H, Kemp Welch, E. Lovett, H. Turner, and 
E. B. Sturge. 
