56 THE BACTERIA IN ASIATIC CHOLERA. [CH. 



even during life, and in the perfectly normal state, bacteria 

 which can be proved to have penetrated there from the free 

 surface. These bacteria are present between the young 

 cells or enclosed in large lymph-cells, these playing prob- 

 ably the part of scavenger-cells (or phagocytes of Metchni- 

 koff), inasmuch as they swallow and destroy the bacteria 

 that had penetrated into the lymphatic tissue. I have re- 

 peated these experiments of Bizzozero, and I can fully con- 

 firm his observations. The very first rabbit examined with 

 this object yielded positive results. A perfectly normal and 

 healthy rabbit is killed by decapitation, the abdomen 

 opened, with clean and sterile forceps the serous coat and 

 outer muscular coat are gradually stripped off the so-called 

 vermiform process, which is in reality the beginning of the 

 caecum ; this as is well known is really one continuous mass 

 of lymph-follicles. Having exposed the deepest part of the 

 mucous membrane containing the lymph-follicles, with the 

 sterilised blade of a scalpel a scraping is taken of the deep 

 part of the lymphatic tissue, and with this scraping cover- 

 glass specimens are made, dried, and stained in gentian- 

 violet. On microscopic examination small bacilli are found 

 scattered and isolated between the nuclei of the lymph-cells, 

 and here and there a huge lymph-cell five to eight times 

 the size of an ordinary lymph-cell is met with, the proto- 

 plasm of which is crowded with the same small bacilli. 



From this it follows then, that while in the perfectly 

 normal state bacteria can make their way from the free 

 surface, or internal cavity abounding with bacteria, into the 

 tissue of the mucous membrane, their penetration will be no 

 doubt considerably facilitated if the wall of the intestine is 

 in a state of disease and disorganisation ; for, as is well 

 known, living and healthy tissues do not favour, but on the 

 contrary are inimical to, the existence of septic bacteria. 



