BACTERIA IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES. 263 



the oval micrococcus, which produces infectious 

 septicaemia in rabbits, produces a fatal result with- 

 in forty-eight hours ; and the virulence of blood, 

 or of a culture-fluid containing this micrococcus or 

 the anthrax bacillus (without spores), is destroyed 

 by exposure for ten minutes to a temperature of 

 140* Fahr. ? whereas sepsin, the ptomaines, and 

 serpent virus venom glohiline all withstand a 

 boiling temperature. 



In the pages which follow, the writer proposes 

 to pass in review the infectious diseases which, 

 upon evidence more or less convincing, have been 

 supposed to depend upon the invasion of the in- 

 fected animal by a parasitic micro-organism. The 

 limits of the present volume will, however, only 

 admit of a brief resume of the observations and 

 experimental evidence bearing upon this suppo- 

 sition, for each disease in the list ; and the reader 

 who desires fuller information, is referred to the 

 copious bibliography appended. For convenience 

 of reference, the diseases are arranged alphabeti- 

 cally. 



