20 THE BACTERIA IN ASIATIC CHOLERA. [CH. 



dejecta, especially of children's diarrhoea, as well as that of 

 grown-up persons ; saliva also, and the mucus that adheres 

 to the teeth and tongue, which abounds in bacteria, for the 

 purpose of finding comma-bacilli, but always without success. 

 Various animals were also examined with this view. 

 Because a complication of symptoms very similar to those 

 of cholera can be obtained by arsenical poisoning, animals 

 were poisoned with arsenic, and afterwards examined. A 

 great number of bacteria were found in the intestines, but no 

 comma-bacilli. Nor were they found in the sewage from 

 the drains of the town of Calcutta, in the extremely polluted 

 water of the River Hooghly, in a number of tanks which lie 

 in the villages and between the huts of the natives and 

 contain very dirty water. Everywhere, where I was able to 

 come across a liquid containing bacteria, I examined it in 

 search of comma-bacilli, but never found them in it. Only 

 once did I come across a kind of bacterium which, at first 

 sight, bore a strong resemblance to comma-bacilli, and that 

 was in the water which, at high-tide, floods the margin of the 

 salt-water lake that lies to the east of Calcutta ; but, on a 

 closer inspection, they appeared larger and thicker than 

 comma-bacilli, and their cultivations did not liquefy 

 gelatine. 



" Besides these observations, I have had a considerable 

 experience in bacteria, but I cannot remember ever having 

 seen bacteria resembling the comma-bacilli. I have spoken 

 to several people who have made a great number of 

 cultivations of bacteria, and have also had experience, but all 

 have told me that they have not as yet seen such bacteria. 

 I therefore think I may say positively that the comma-bacilli 

 are constant concomitants of the cholera-process , and that they 

 are never found elsewhere" 



These statements are very definite and precise, and the 



