i/o BACTERIA IN DAILY LIFE 



to 38'S per cent, in 1896 to 28'8 per cent, in 1897 

 to 16 per cent, to 20 per cent in 1898, 15*15 per 

 cent in 1899, and 1875 P er cent in 1900. 



So far the efforts which have been made to 

 mitigate human suffering have attracted most 

 attention ; but it will be remembered that Pasteur, 

 before he commenced the study of hydrophobia, 

 had already won his laurels in combating disease 

 in the victory he gained over anthrax, the ravages 

 of which so frequently decimated the herds of the 

 French farmer and robbed him of his well-earned 

 return on his capital and labour. 



In summoning the brilliant Director of the 

 German Imperial Board of Health to South 

 Africa to investigate the nature of rinderpest, and, 

 if possible, discover a means of protecting cattle 

 from its onslaught, the Cape Government afforded 

 another opportunity for the scientific study of a 

 disease associated with animals, upon the success- 

 ful mastery and limitation of which the agricultural 

 prosperity of South Africa is so largely dependent, 

 being as it is one of the most fatal and contagious 

 maladies to which cattle are subject. Apart from 

 the great commercial importance attending Dr. 

 Koch's discovery of a device whereby cattle can 

 be immunised or protected from contracting 

 rinderpest when exposed to its contagion, this 

 discovery is of great scientific interest, inasmuch 



