BACTERIA IN SURGICAL LESIONS. 447 



each thigh of a half-grown rabbit. The wound upon 

 the right thigh was moistened with a culture-fluid 

 (twentieth culture) containing the micrococcus from 

 gonorrhoeal pus. The wounds were then dressed with 

 dry tow, and a bandage applied. Both healed kindly 

 without any undue inflammation, and no difference was 

 observed between the two." 



This single experiment counts for but little ; and 

 the criticism may be made that this micrococcus 

 was obtained from gonorrhceal pus, and is perhaps 

 specifically distinct from the micrococcus of ordi- 

 nary pus, although it appears to be morphologically 

 identical with it. All this is admitted, and the 

 experiment is introduced mainly to call attention 

 to a method, which, carefully applied, should 

 enable us to solve the question as to the patho- 

 genic role of this micrococcus. The writer had 

 mapped out for himself a series of experiments in 

 this direction and many others relating to etio- 

 logical questions, but circumstances have not been 

 favorable for the prosecution of experimental work, 

 and he finds himself, somewhat reluctantly, en- 

 gaged in a review of the field, when it would be 

 far more to his taste to interrogate nature by the 

 experimental method, and thus to aid directly in 

 the solution of these interesting problems. 



One of these problems, with our present light, 

 is very puzzling. It has been demonstrated by 

 numerous observers that this micrococcus of pus is 

 uniformly found in pus obtained from an acute 

 abscess, when the integument covering it is still 



