236 NATURE OF 



consideration the contagious fevers result from the 

 introduction of living particles of some form or other. 

 But of the nature and origin of this living matter 

 opinions differ, and the differences are very decided, and 

 oftentimes are expressed energetically. The subject 

 is intensely interesting, and not second in importance to 

 any kind of enquiry whatever. The view to which my 

 investigations have led me will have been already 

 gathered by the reader (see p. 149), but in the present 

 section I propose to recapitulate some of the evidence 

 which has already been adduced, and to reply to some 

 objections which have been raised. 



In the first part of this work I have endeavoured 

 to show that the doctrine of the vegetable nature of 

 disease germs must be abandoned. No one has suc- 

 ceeded in proving that any form of contagious living 

 matter can be traced to a microscopic fungus or other 

 low vegetable organism. Nevertheless, in opposition 

 to all that has been urged to the contrary, but without 

 a reply to one of the many arguments advanced 

 against the doctrine, we find the vegetable nature 

 of disease germs, and the prejudicial disease-carrying 

 properties of vegetable fungi, taught and advocated in 

 " The Twelfth Report of the Medical Officer of the 

 Privy Council." As the Report has been published 

 since the first part of this work was printed, I 

 propose to offer a few more remarks upon this 

 doctrine which seems to have a warm supporter in 

 Mr. Simon. I was much surprised to find a general 



