ON THE CATGUT LIGATURE 103 



ligature — after, of course, carefully rendering it aseptic by means of carbolic 

 lotion. Six of these hempen Hgatures were used — three on each side. During 

 the first eight days, everything went on in a typical fashion according to the 

 antiseptic method. There was a merely serous effusion, rapidly diminishing 

 in amount ; and we looked to the wound being healed in a few days more. 

 But on the ninth day there was seen to be a little something of purulence mingled 

 with the discharge ; and the pus afterwards became thicker, though always in 

 small quantity ; a little could be pressed out from each side ; and in a month, 

 one of the hempen ligatures made its escape. Six days later, four others of the 

 hempen threads came away altogether unaltered, as may be seen on one of the 

 cards on the table where I have exhibited them. I submitted them to careful 

 examination. They had a sour odour, and, applied to litmus paper, gave an 

 acid reaction, that is to say, the natural alkaline condition of the blood-serum 

 had been changed to acidity by some peculiar species of fermentation. On 

 examining them with the microscope, I found the interstices of the threads 

 of the hemp loaded with a form of organism, to which I believe I happened to 

 be the first to direct attention as to its mode of growth,^ and to which I gave 

 the name of Granuligera, occurring in groups of two, three, four, and so forth, 

 as distinguished from the chains of ordinary bacteria, and of which one species 

 at least has been since shown by Mr. Cheyne to occur very frequently in cases 

 treated antiseptically, without any interference with aseptic progress. I found 

 that the interstices of the threads of the hemp were loaded with these little 

 micrococci. It so happens that I have had the opportunity, within the last 

 few days, of obtaining a sample of these micrococci, thanks to Mr. Cheyne's 

 kindness. He brought this flask, containing then a pure and perfectly trans- 

 parent organic infusion, to a case which I had operated on a fortnight before 

 by excision of the ankle. The skin had been unbroken, so that I was able to 

 operate antiseptically, and the case pursued a perfectly typical course. The 

 wounds, which were left gaping at the time of the operation, were filled with 

 blood-clot, which remained unaltered in appearance, though undoubtedly 

 organized by that time, more or less. A little piece of the blood-clot from one 

 of these wounds was introduced with careful antiseptic precautions into the 

 flask of clear fluid, and you see it is now turbid, and there is under the micro- 

 scope on the table a specimen of the little organism to which the turbidity is 

 due. But though, under ordinary circumstances, these micrococci may be 

 present, as Mr. Cheyne has abundantly shown, and as the excision of the ankle 

 I have just referred to illustrates, without causing an}^ evil, yet there may be 

 circumstances in wliich they may prove mischievous ; and the case of goitre 



* See Transaclio'>is of the Royal Society of Edi)ibu>i;Ii, vol. xxvii, 1S75 (sec vol. 1, p. 282). 



