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Vol. VII. DETROIT, NOVEMBER, 1887. No. 11 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



"DISEASE GERMS." ANOTHER ILLUSTRATION OF THE 

 FACT THAT BACTERIA CAUSE DISEASE.* 



BY T. J. BURRILL, PH.D. 



'^[OTWITHSTANDING the numerous demonstrations of the 

 ■^ ^ active agency of micro-organisms in the production of disease, 

 especially in animals, doubts are still expressed upon the subject, in 

 private interviews and in public prints. If these skeptical or com- 

 bative utterances did not frequently come from those who are con- 

 sidered, however worthily, to a greater or less extent, authorities 

 upon such matters, further contributions to the exposition of the 

 truthfulness of the so-called germ theory of disease might not be con- 

 sidered necessary or useful. But there are to-day honest skeptics 

 upon the subject who really wish for reliable information. Whether 

 or not they have made reasonable use of the published accounts of 

 experiments, whether or not they have embraced possible opportu- 

 nities to experiment and investigate for themselves, need not now 

 concern us. One who is convinced of a truth ought not to stand 

 upon his dignity about publishing and republishing his reasons for 

 the faith that is in him. There are other skeptics in the matter who 

 apparently will not believe evidence, on account of some previous 

 occupation of the mind with other notions, the mental capacity, per- 

 haps, not being sufficient for two ideas at the same time, and the 



♦Transactions of the American Society of Microscopists, 1887. 



