BACTERIOLOGY IN MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 



PART I. 

 PRINCIPLES OF BACTERIOLOGY. 



CHAPTER I. 



INTRODUCTORY HISTORICAL SKETCH. 



ALTHOUGH most of the more important discoveries in bacteriology 

 which place it on the footing of a science are of comparatively recent 

 date, the foundations of its study were laid over two centuries ago. 

 From the earliest times the history of bacteriology has been intimately 

 associated with that of medicine. Indeed, it is only through the inves- 

 tigations into the life history of the vegetable and animal unicellular 

 micro-organisms that our present knowledge of the etiology, course, 

 and prevention of the infectious diseases has been acquired; and it is 

 only by the practical application of the principles and methods of 

 bacteriology that many diseases can be positively diagnosed or the 

 problems which present themselves to the sanitarian be certainly solved. 

 The prominent position which bacteriology already holds toward 

 medicine is, moreover, daily increasing in importance. Original dis- 

 coveries are constantly adding to the list of known germ diseases, and 

 the outlook is favorable for eventually obtaining, through serums, 

 through attenuated cultures, or through the toxic substances of the 

 micro-organisms themselves, means for immunizing against, if not 

 curing, many of the specific infections. Even at present bacterial 

 products and protective serums are used successfully as preventives or 

 curative agents in several of the most prevalent infectious diseases. 

 An acquaintance, therefore, with the main facts concerning these micro- 

 organisms is as necessary to the education of the modern physician as 

 a knowledge of anatomy, pathology, chemistry, or any of the allied 

 sciences. 



But before entering into a detailed consideration of the subject it 

 may be interesting and instructive to review briefly a few of the impor- 



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