436 BACTERIA IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES. 



" Organic fluids, such as urine, black vomit, arid the 

 fluid from the interior of unripe cocoanuts, exposed in 

 the laboratory, very soon became filled with a variety 

 of vegetable organisms, bacteria, torulse, vibriones, and 

 other fungi, such as are found under similar circum- 

 stances in all parts of the world. Most of these were 

 well-known arid common forms ; some may have been 

 peculiar to the latitude or even to localities infected 

 with yellow fever, but to decide this question would 

 require a more precise knowledge in regard to these 

 low forms of vegetable life than was possessed by any 

 member of the Commission, or, indeed, than is likely to 

 be found even among those who have devoted the most 

 attention to this branch of study, which is acknowledged 

 by all to be yet in its infancy. 



" Photo-micrographs were made of some of these forms, 

 and it is suggested that photographic representations of 

 all forms found in southern parts of the United States at a 

 time when yellow fever does not prevail, should be made 

 in advance of the next epidemic, so that any unusual 

 form presenting itself then may receive the special 

 attention of future investigators " (I. c.). 



In the first edition of this work (Fig. 4, Plate II. 

 and Figs. 1 and 2, Plate III.) photographs from 

 nature are given of some of the organisms which 

 were found most abundantly in yellow-fever urine. 

 It may be that one of these, or some one of the 

 many organisms which Carmona has included in 

 his description, is the veritable germ of yellow 

 fever ; but this is a mere hypothesis, not supported 

 by the slightest evidence. At the time of my 

 visit to Havana I had not perfected my method of 

 conducting culture experiments (see p. 178), and 



