THE BACTERIA IN SURGICAL LESIONS. 185 
obscurities when we know better how to distin- 
guish the different kinds of microphytes. Indeed, 
while Billroth only admits two invariable funda- 
mental types, Coccos and Bacteria, Weigert has 
recently expressed views quite opposed to these in 
speaking of the bacteria of fermentations and of 
chromogenes, which according to Cohn and Pas- 
teur constitute as many physiological species as 
there are different fermentations and colorations. 
According to Weigert, there are an infinite number 
of sorts of bacteria, arising from the fact that each 
Micrococcus assumes special vital properties ac- 
cording to the medium in which it finds itself, and 
consequently gives birth, as the result of decompo- 
sitions which it effects in taking possession of oxy- 
gen, to various chemical products acting as morbid 
viruses. 
Influence of the Preceding Notions upon Thera- 
peutics. — We have just shown that for many au- 
thors germs are the origin of the greater part of 
the complications of wounds, it was then natural 
that they should seek to prevent their develop- 
ment. In order to attain this result, the clinicians 
have used means either physical or chemical. 
M. Alphonse Guérin, founding his practice upon 
the ideas of Pasteur regarding the possibility of 
filtering and purifying the air by passing it through 
cotton-wadding, conceived the idea of covering 
wounds with a considerable quantity of cotton, and 
realized—the fact cannot be denied—an immense 
progress in the treatment of severe traumatisms. 
