CEREBRO-SPINAL MENINGITIS. 285 



f 



CHOLERA. Epidemiologists find it necessary 

 to assume the existence of a living germ in order 

 to explain in a satisfactory manner the origin and 

 epidemic extension of this disease. Evidently the 

 materies morU is capable of self-multiplication ex- 

 ternal to the human body ; and this multiplication 

 is conditioned by circumstances of the same kind 

 as those which influence the development of the 

 lowest organisms, heat, moisture, and the pres- 

 ence of organic material to serve as nutritive 

 pabulum for the hypothetical germ. 



Various attempts have been made to find the 

 cholera germ in infected atmospheres and in the 

 discharges of cholera patients, but thus far no 

 satisfactory results have been attained. Modern 

 methods of research have not, however, been 

 fairly brought to bear in the investigation of this 

 disease. The difficulties connected with such an 

 investigation are very great, for the reason that 

 a multitude of harmless micro-organisms are con- 

 stantly present in the discharges from the bowels 

 of healthy persons, and of cholera patients as 

 well ; and because no one of the lower animals 

 has yet been proved to be susceptible to the 

 disease. Consequently, there is no way of dem- 

 onstrating the pathogenic potency of a suspected 

 organism, which might be isolated by culture ex- 

 periments. Magendie, Meyer, Lindsay, and others, 

 have introduced material from the stools of cholera 

 patients into the stomach, the veins, and the sub- 

 cutaneous connective tissue, of various animals, 



