106 BACTERIOLOGY. 



accelerating the development and thus the disappear- 

 ance of the inflammation. A peculiar effect of opera- 

 tive interference is noticed in the frequently observed 

 beneficial result of laparotomy in tubercular peritonitis. 



Antiseptic solutions have the power of cleansing and 

 rendering sterile the surfaces of a wound that is, of 

 preventing the introduction of infection. After infec- 

 tion has taken place, however, it is doubtful whether 

 antiseptic washing has much more direct influence 

 than simple cleansing, and it certainly can have no 

 bactericidal effect at any distance from the surface, 

 either direct or indirect. Certain infectious diseases 

 which are comparatively superficial are probably bene- 

 fited by antiseptic solutions, such as gonorrhoea, diph- 

 theria, and other inflammations of the mucous mem- 

 branes. Even here, however, it is impossible to do more 

 than disinfect superficially, and in some cases any 

 irritation of the tissues is apt to do more harm than 

 good. In the superficial lesions of syphilis and tuber- 

 culosis the local use of antiseptics is sometimes of 

 great value. In these diseases the irritant effects of the 

 antiseptics which stimulate the tissues may also be 

 beneficial. Roux has reported that certain specific 

 serums, just as certain enzymes, have some destructive 

 effect on the toxic substances of other species of bac- 

 teria; but this is a subject which has been as yet but 

 little investigated. 



Specific immunity r , or a condition of the body which 

 prevents the development in it of one variety of micro- 

 organisms and renders it unaffected by their bacterial 

 poisons. The invasion of the body with more or less 

 serious results by most micro-organisms is followed 

 by a condition which for a variable period and to a 



