INTRODUCTION. 



"Works which treat of Microbiology are quite nu- 

 merous, but none offer a concise and complete expo- 

 sition of the accepted facts on the subject, the appli- 

 cation of which is within the reach of students and 

 practitioners. Such outline we would give here in 

 the hope that both may be benefited thereby. 



It would seem that this publication has some pros- 

 pect of being well received. Besides the fact that 

 the veterinarian in daily practice is under the neces- 

 sity of having recourse to the teachings of microbi- 

 ology, the inspection of meat and the supervision of 

 the sanitary police — duties which have devolved upon 

 him — make it his imperative duty to neglect no 

 means of diagnosis which science places at his dis- 

 posal. 



"We do not mean to assert that the diagnosis of in- 

 fectious diseases necessitates in all cases a search for 

 the pathogenic microbes, but, recognizing the im- 

 portance of the pathological anatomy and clinical 

 symptoms, we believe that the demonstration of 

 these germs is of much higher value. We will even 

 say that, in unfortunately too many cases, the recog- 



(ix) 



