146 THE BACTERIA IN ASIATIC CHOLERA. [CH. 



observers have not carefully examined the contents of the 

 normal intestine by gelatine plate-cultivations ; I only wish to 

 point out that a negative result obtained in one set of experi- 

 ments by one operator does not preclude a positive result being 

 obtained in another set by another operator. Again I have 

 shown on a former page that even when choleraic comma- 

 bacilli are added in comparatively small quantity to a large 

 quantity of bacterial mixture, it is extremely difficult, nay, 

 in many experiments impossible, to recover them by plate- 

 cultivation. I say, therefore, that the presence of a few 

 comma-bacilli even in the normal intestine is not impossible, 

 nor even improbable ; and that a good many further obser- 

 vations are required to settle this point. I am quite aware 

 that many are content with the facts already at hand ; many 

 say " Here we have a disease in which it is admitted 

 that a peculiar species of bacteria does occur, that this 

 species has not been demonstrated as yet to exist 

 in either normal or morbid states of the intestine ; 

 further, that experiments performed on animals prove that 

 these comma-bacilli introduced into the small intestine can 

 under certain conditions multiply there ; death with lesions 

 similar to those of cholera ensuing ; this is quite sufficient 

 to show that these comma-bacilli are connected with the 

 causation of the disease Asiatic cholera." I fully admit 

 that these facts cover a good deal of ground and that these 

 arguments are without question of considerable strength. 

 But I do not think we ought to be satisfied with them. I 

 cannot overlook the fact that, notwithstanding the constant 

 presence of the comma-bacilli in the cholera discharges and 

 cholera-intestine, they are only present in dead tissues (fluid 

 and mucus in the cavity of the intestine) ; I cannot overlook 

 that Asiatic cholera would in this respect make one great 

 exception to all other infectious diseases in which at present 



