THE 



BACTERIA IN ASIATIC CHOLERA 



INTRODUCTION. 



IN the following pages I propose to give an account of 

 the present state of our knowledge of the etiology of Asiatic 

 cholera, gained chiefly in the time that has elapsed since the 

 first communications of Koch on this disease. I do not 

 mean to imply that the observations made by Koch, and 

 others since, are to be regarded as the only valuable 

 addition to our knowledge of this very dire plague ; for I 

 am quite aware that all that is of importance in our 

 knowledge of the mode of its spreading and propagation, of 

 the various conditions of soil, air, temperature, water, which 

 affect it all in fact that has helped us to combat the malady, 

 was gained many years before bacteria and disease-germs 

 had emerged from the region of mystery, long before the 

 recognition of and experimentation with disease-germs had 

 become a branch of exact science. I have only to refer to 

 the works of v. Pettenkofer, of Bryden, Bellew, Cunningham, 

 Budd, Parkes, Snow, and many other experienced observers 

 in India and Europe, to remind the reader, that all that has 



B 



