160 THE BACTERIA IN ASIATIC CHOLERA. [CH. 



of linen soiled with cholera dejecta. There can be no 

 manner of doubt that cholera infection has been started 

 from linen soiled with cholera dejecta. These instances are 

 notorious and numerous, and are known from former and 

 recent cholera epidemics; they do not require any special 

 discussion. Now Koch says, and others repeat it with 

 greater or less emphasis, that it is easy to show the existence 

 of the comma-bacilli in the mucus-flakes of the dejecta soil- 

 ing the linen and clothes of a cholera patient even after days 

 and weeks, provided the linen be kept in a more or less 

 damp state, so as not to dry up and kill the comma-bacilli, 

 and the comma-bacilli are the only bacteria that can be at all 

 considered as playing any part in giving infective power to 

 such linen. While fully agreeing with the first part I totally 

 dissent from the second. It is in harmony with the known 

 observations that the comma-bacilli remain in a living state 

 and therefore are capable of multiplication in such linen, but 

 it is absolutely incorrect to say that they are the only bacteria 

 present. 



As I have pointed out in former pages, it is extremely rare 

 to find the mucus-flakes of a cholera stool free of bacteria 

 other than the comma-bacilli. As a matter of fact 1 have 

 not failed to find in them certain small straight bacilli cap- 

 able of forming spores ; von Emmerich and Buchner always 

 found the bacterium which von Emmerich first pointed out 

 and isolated by cultivation. Whether, as is very probable, 

 such linen harbours still other bacteria no one knows. 

 Koch has not thought it necessary to inquire into this, nor 

 have others, who merely repeat what Koch says. It so 

 happens that the comma-bacilli are very conspicuous by their 

 shape a fact which first attracted Koch's attention to 

 them 1 and by their mode of cultivation, as he afterwards 

 1 Loc. cit. p. 6. 



