VIECHOW. 53 



diphtheritis, septicaemia and pyaemia, but in hospital gan- 

 grene there appears to be no doubt that the disease is so 

 caused." 



Since that time Billroth has fully recognized the demon- 

 strations of Dr. Koch. (See Belfield's Lectures.) 



PROF. THIERSCH. 



Prof. Thiersch relates the following accidental infection 

 experiment: "At the end of March, 1871, the recently 

 finished St. Jacob's Hospital was brought into use. Some 

 of the furniture from the old hospital (which was not in 

 use because it was infected with hospital gangrene), was piled 

 up in one of the courts. After some weeks it had disappeared, 

 and the author was informed that it had been removed to 

 a more fitting place. Two days later, a virulent type of 

 hospital gangrene appeared in two wards (of the new hospital), 

 remote from each other. A search for the cause of this 

 gangrene, which had not been introduced from without, ex- 

 posed the fact that the old infected furniture had been stowed 

 in two basement rooms, from which these two wards drew 

 their fresh air." 



VIRCHOW. 



Prof. Virchow speaking on this subject at the International 

 Congress at London, especially of the claim so often made 

 that micro-organisms could only exist in diseased organs, that 

 they were scavengers, which only attacked the dead or dying, 

 said he thought the view was one-sided. It was necessary 

 to distinguish between different forms of these organisms. 

 Some very virulent organisms can multiply anywhere, in all 

 tissues and at all times. 



"The bacillus anthracis had no need of diseased tissues. 

 It is vigorous enough to destroy any tissue, and will develop 

 itself in a short time, from the point of introduction, into a 



