140 THE BACTERIA IN ASIATIC CHOLERA. [CH. vn. 



the muscle and the blood of the heart were used for 

 establishing a very large number of plate cultivations and 

 also for inoculating with considerable quantities broth in 

 tubes, but in no single instance could any growth whatever 

 be produced, nor did the microscopic examination show any 

 organisms. The comma-bacilli had therefore been killed 

 already in 24 hours in the tissues of the pigeon. The animal 

 showed of course no disturbance of any kind. 



From these considerations it follows then : (i) the presence 

 of the choleraic comma-bacilli occurs in dead tissues only, as 

 we have shown above, namely the fluid and mucus-flakes of the 

 diseased and disorganized intestine in cholera, (2) the pro- 

 duction by the comma-bacilli as by other notorious saprophy- 

 tic bacteria (Finkler's and Deneke's vibrios) of sulphuretted 

 hydrogen, (see Hueppe's experiments of cultivation of the 

 comma-bacilli in egg) ; (3) the production by the comma- 

 bacilli of Indol in broth that contains peptone (Salkowski, 

 Bujwid) ; (4) the absence of comma-bacilli in the living 

 tissue of the intestine or other organs, (5) the septicsemic 

 character of the disease produced by the comma-bacilli in 

 certain rodents, 1 and the toxic character produced by the 

 chemical products of certain cultures alike of choleraic 

 comma-bacilli and other comma-bacilli notoriously saprophy tic. 

 From these facts the conclusion seems to me to be justified 

 that the comma-bacilli in these respects do not differ from 

 saprophytic bacteria, and their relation to the causation of 

 Asiatic cholera becomes therefore very doubtful. 



1 For a criticism of the recently published researches of Messrs. 

 Macleod and Milles, see the concluding chapter of this work. 



