286 BACTERIA IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES. 



with negative results. According to Lebert, putre- 

 faction of cholera stools diminishes their capacity 

 for infection, and the bacteria of decomposition 

 destroy the germs of cholera. This is an infer- 

 ence drawn from the fact that those who, during a 

 cholera epidemic, occupy themselves in making 

 post-mortem examinations are not especially liable 

 to be attacked with cholera. 



ERYSIPELAS. The infectious nature of erysip- 

 elas has been abundantly demonstrated, both by 

 clinical and experimental evidence. The trans- 

 mission of vaccinal erysipelas from one child to 

 several others, and the communication of the dis- 

 ease by instruments previously used in dressing 

 erysipelatous wounds, has been noted by physi- 

 cians. Orth has also shown, by a series of twenty- 

 three experiments, that the disease may be com- 

 municated by inoculation from man to the lower 

 animals. 



Numerous observers Hliter, Nepveu, Wilde, 

 Orth, Wahlberg, and others have noted the 

 presence of micrococci in the inflamed tissues, and 

 especially in the oedema of erysipelas. 



Fehleisen has recently given strong experi-* 

 mental evidence in favor of the pathogenic role 

 of these micrococci. Not only has he demon- 

 strated their presence in every case of erysipelas 

 examined by him (13 cases), but he has succeeded 

 in cultivating them, and has successfully inocu- 

 lated men and animals with the cultivated micro- 



