KOCH’s ‘‘COMMA” BACILLUS. 301 
KOCH’S “COMMA” BACILE@S. 
l{\HE discussions on Koch’s “comma,” or cholera bacillus show 
no signs of abatement, at least in Germany, but there are 
plentiful indications of a decided reaction in Koch’s favour after 
the recent severe attacks upon him. It is pointed out that even 
Dr. Klein’s feat, that of swallowing a number of the microbes, is 
really no satisfactory refutation of the Berlin microscopist’s opinions, 
inasmuch as the organisms thus imbibed might be “ attenuated ” 
specimens, and, moreover, the vigour of the experimentalist’s 
digestive organs at the time might be more than a match for the 
attacking contingent. Certainly it may be assumed that any 
earnest seeker after truth whose thirst for knowledge might induce 
him to swallow a real “cholera mixture” would at least take care 
to have the ordinary conditions of immunity from enteric disorder 
on his side. As for the alleged resemblance between the supposed 
cholera bacillus and other apparently harmless microbes, we have 
already quoted Koch’s own statement that such resemblance is 
only superficial, and to an experienced observer is ‘not, even so 
far, perfect ; while careful culture shows that the biological and 
chemical qualities of the former are very different from those of 
the latter. At the recent general meeting of the Lower Rhine 
Naturalist and Sanitary Society at Bonn, Dr. Ungar confirmed 
Koch’s statements, and even Dr. Finkler, who, in conjunction with 
Dr. Prior, lately published an adverse criticism of Koch’s report, 
seems to*have admitted that notwithstanding the identity in many 
respects between the cholera and other similarly shaped bacilli 
which he and his colleague claim to have established, the poison- 
ous or chemical reactions might be very different. The most 
practical evidence in favour of Koch’s views was given, however, 
by Professor Binz, who quoted a communication from a Naples 
physician well known in the scientific world, Professor A. Cantani. 
Acting upon Koch’s discovery that acids are inimical to the true 
“comma” bacillus, Cantani sought for a free acid mixture which 
could be administered to cholera patients without injury to them. 
This he found in a mixture of tannic acid, gum, opium, and water, 
heated to 38 degrees centigrade, and injected directly into the 
intestine. Professor Cantani declares that the astonishing results 
which he obtained “in hundreds and hundreds of cases” during 
the recent epidemic in Naples have convinced him that the general 
introduction of this method during the earlier stages of choleraic 
diarrhcea would reduce the development of the more severe types 
' of the disorder to a minimum hitherto not even hoped for. The 
