196 LOUIS PASTEUR 



and the septic vibrio. Then occur the very curious 

 effects arising from the anaerobic nature of these 

 vibrios, and their opposition to the bacillus of splenic 

 fever, which is exclusively aerobic. Diffused in blood 

 deprived of oxygen gas, the splenic bacillus soon 

 perishes. In its place are to be found amorphous 

 granulations deprived of all virulence. The septic 

 anaerobic vibrio, on the contrary, finds itself after 

 death in the most favourable conditions for its life and 

 development. Not only does it penetrate into the 

 blood by the deep mesenteric veins, but also into the 

 liquids which ooze out of the abdomen and muscles. 



From the antagonism existing between the physio- 

 logical peculiarities of the splenic bacilli and the septic 

 vibrio, it results that if, in order to inoculate an 

 animal capable of contracting the fever, a drop of blood 

 be taken from one that has just died of it, and if the 

 operation is performed during the first few hours after 

 death, it is certain to communicate to that animal 

 splenic fever, and splenic fever only. If, on the other 

 hand, the operation is performed after a greater 

 number of hours say, between twelve and twenty, ac- 

 cording to the season of the year then the inocula- 

 tion of the blood will communicate, at one and the 

 same time, splenic fever and septicaemia acute septi- 

 caemia, as it may be called, because of the rapid 

 inflammatory disorders that the septic vibrio causes 

 in the inoculated animal. The two diseases may be 



