298 SECOND TOUR IN THE GREAT CAUCASUS. 



that in regions, where the fever-germs are continually 

 being introduced into the body, living beings are 

 formed therein, which feed on these germs, and there- 

 fore perish when the source of nutriment is dried up 

 for a long time. - This, of course, was only an un- 

 proved hypothesis, which was justly only so regarded 

 by my medically trained friends, to whom I communi- 

 cated it at the time, such as du Bois-Reymond. I have 

 nevertheless been gratified to see the bacteriological 

 researches of eminent scientists taking of late the direc- 

 tion indicated by me a quarter of a century ago. - 



Our second tour in the great Caucasus had like- 

 wise reference to the investigation of a metalliferous 

 property, situated in a very inaccessible region, be- 

 longing to a princely family of Georgia. We travelled 

 from Tiflis to Tsarskie-Kolodzy, where our Tiflis branch 

 had petroleum-works, which were again given up after 

 the completion of the railway from Tiflis to Baku. 

 From there our way lay to the wine country Kakhetia, 

 celebrated for the fiery Kakhetian wine. This district 

 lies in the valley of the Alasan. and is separated from 

 the Kur valley by a ridge stretching far into the steppes. 

 From the summit of this ridge we had magnificent 

 views of the Caucasus, which from there presents it- 

 self as an unbroken chain of white peaks, reaching 

 from the Black to the Caspian sea. 



Kakhetia passes for the primitive land of the vine- 

 cultivation, and in the chief place of the country pri- 

 mitive thanksgiving festivals take place, which recall 

 the Roman Saturnalia. High and low then flock to- 



