SE ee eae of Disease Germs. 199 
were once in the blood, and intimately related to the white blood- 
corpuscles. 
But further: if, as is well known, a little of this material were 
to be introduced into the body, as may unfortunately happen from 
a dissection-wound in the course of making a post-mortem examina- 
tion, terrible inflammation may be excited in the person inoculated. 
The most tiny morsel of this virulent, rapidly-multiplyimg morbid 
bioplasm, may give rise to a dreadful form of “ blood-poisoning,” 
which may end fatally and in a very short time. 
In some cases similar poisonous particles which have been 
derived from a diseased organism are so very minute and light that 
they are supported by the air, and may find their way into the 
blood of a healthy (?) person through his respiratory organs, or 
may gain access to his circulating fluid by traversing the narrow 
chinks between the epithelial cells of the cuticle. 
Nature of Virulent Disease Germs.—Now, what is the nature 
of the matter imoculated, which produces these dreadful results ? 
The virulent poison which sometimes destroys life in cases of dis- 
section-wounds cannot be attributed to the presence of vegetable 
germs, for the period of its most virulent activity is very soon after 
death, but before the occurrence of putrefaction, when the vegetable 
fungus germs multiply.* A punctured wound is not dangerous 
if putrefactive decomposition has taken place, because, although 
bacteria are developed in immense numbers, the real contagious 
virus is dead. The vegetable germs, in fact, grow and flourish 
upon the products resulting from the death of the dangerous animal 
living poison. In short, this material is living and very actively- 
growing germinal matter ; living matter which retains its life after 
the death of the organism in which it was produced has occurred ; 
living matter which has descended directly from the living matter 
of health, but which has acquired the property of retaining its life 
under new conditions; living matter destroyed with difficulty, and 
possessing such wonderful energy that it will grow and multiply 
when removed from the seat of its development and transferred to 
another situation, provided only it be supplied with suitable nutrient 
pabulum—and it is to be feared the ordinary nutrient fluids of a 
perfectly healthy organism are eminently adapted for the nutrition 
of this destructive virus. 
The Pus of Purulent Ophthalmia—Gonorrheal Pus.—Such 
is the vitality of these forms of bioplasm that they will grow and 
multiply upon certain mucous surfaces if placed there; not only 
so, but the living particles will retain their vitality for some time 
after their removal from the surface upon which they grew. They 
may even be transported long distances by the air, or they may 
* See ‘ Disease Germs: their Supposed Nature.’ 
