INTRODUCED BY INOCULATION. 143 



matter ; living matter which retains its life after the 

 death of the organism in which it was produced has 

 occurred ; living matter which has descended directly 

 from the living matter of health, but which has ac- 

 quired the property of retaining its life under new 

 conditions ; living matter destroyed with difficulty, and 

 possessing such wonderful energy that it will grow and 

 multiply when removed from the seat of its develop- 

 ment and transferred to another situation, provided 

 only it be supplied with suitable nutrient pabulum, 

 and it is to be feared the ordinary nutrient fluids of a 

 perfectly healthy organism are eminently adapted for 

 the nutrition of this destructive virus. 



The Germs of Purulent Ophthalmia Gonorrhceal 

 Pus. Such is the vitality of these forms of bioplasm 

 that they will grow and multiply upon certain mucous 

 surfaces if placed there ; not only so, but the living 

 particles will retain their vitality for some time after 

 their removal from the surface upon which they grew. 

 They may even be transported long distances by the 

 air, or they may remain for some time in moist cloths 

 without being destroyed. When once a room has 

 been infected with such particles, some weeks may 

 elapse before the death of all the specific disease- 

 carrying germs has taken place. 



The characters and vital movements of pus and 

 minute pus germs, have been already described in 

 p. 128. 



The pus possessing specific contagious properties 



