INVADE NORMAL BIOPLASM? 



[91 



organism in an eminently contagious disease, are all 

 the direct descendants of the very few, or perhaps even 

 single particle first introduced ; just as the millions of 

 bacteria and fungi developed in certain decomposing 

 organic matters in the course of a few hours may have 

 been produced from one or at most a very few par- 

 ticles. And that although in the secretions upon the 

 mucous surfaces, and in internal parts, there may be 

 many masses of germinal matter resulting from the 

 increased access of pabulum already many times 

 referred to, these latter do not form the active elements 

 of the contagious material or contagium. 



Concerning the Possibility of Disease Germs passing 

 into the substance of Normal Living Bioplasm. It is 

 true that in the substance of many masses of germinal 

 matter found in the secretions and discharges of ani- 

 mals dying from cattle plague, and of many other 

 diseases, some minute particles which would ordi- 

 narily be termed " granules," which refract the light 

 very highly, and probably have been often mistaken 

 for minute oil globules, may be invariably observed 

 in great number. The nature of these particles is 

 not known. They are met with in almost all kinds 

 of living matter with which I am acquainted, and 

 different forms are observed. In PL XIX, fig. 71, some 

 are seen in masses of germinal matter from the milk. 

 It seems to me probable that some of these particles 

 have originated in the germinal matter itself, while 

 others have passed into it from without. 



