THE MICROSCOPE. 17 
organization of fibrine! And upon this he theorizes regarding spon- 
taneous generation and hints that the veil of mystery concealing life 
and vitality is about to be pierced. The reasoning and example are 
only equaled, it seems to us, by some of those wonderful transmuta- 
tions put forth in Dr. Bastian’s “Beginnings of Life,” for example, the 
conversion of milk globules into fungus germs, after Turpin (1837). 
The doctor’s attention was called to the fact that when a drop of 
water was added to the dry blood the “organization”’ disappeared, 
and when the color had been discharged the real fibrine of the drop 
then appeared as an intricate plexus of very fine threads spread over 
the slide. The doctor responds “that fibrine organizes differently 
under such circumstances.”” He further says “that when examined 
in direct sunlight he can see the granules which compose the 
threads.”” No doubt the net-work in question is quite familiar to 
most of you, and no doubt most of you would naturally attribute it 
to drying. Another instance: A drop of blood covered at 2 P. M. in 
the evening was found to exhibit ‘‘fibrine organization” under dif- 
ferent circumstances from the above—the mesh was finer (“absence 
of air the cause”). This case was presented to the committee as an 
example, or simulation, of dry-cultivation of bacteria after Koch’s 
method. It is marvelous. 
It seems unnecessary to follow this subject further. It must be 
apparent to any one having one grain of manipulative skill and only 
slight acquaintance with correct methods of microscopical investiga- 
tion, that no reliance can be placed on such observations, and that 
all conclusions based on such may be dismissed without serious ex- 
amination. What astonishes us is that such evidence should be put 
forth to controvert the teachings of the keenest investigators of the 
age, or any age. ‘This paper will not check one breath of time the 
advancing army of those who believe the germ theory of disease 
to be true. But it does add Dr. Gregg to company whose attitude 
to this doctrine is so aptly expressed by one of the vice-presidents 
of the British Association for the Advancement of Science this year, 
referring, however, to the opponents of another science; he says of 
those of his non-party that they have at length gained the victory; 
nevertheless, they have each, doubtless, from time to time 
“* Heard the distant and random gun 
That the foe was sullenly firing.’ 
“‘ The ‘foe,’ to speak metaphorically,”’ he continues, ‘seems to 
consist of very irregular forces, occasionall¥ unfair but never dan- 
gerous, sometimes very amusing and frequently but badly armed, or 
without any real armor. ‘The Spartan law which fined a citizen 
heavily for going into battle unarmed was probably a very wise 
Ciies 
( DS. KEELICOTT 7 Ph: Do kes ee 
Committee « LEE H. Smitu, M. D. 
( Jacos Frank, M. D. 
ft 
