NATURE 



n 



THURSDAY, MAY 24, 1900. 



THE SCIENCE OF BACTERIOLOGY. 



The Principles of Bacteriology. By Dr. Ferdinand 

 Hueppe. Authorised translation from the German by 

 Dr. E. O. Jordan. Pp. x + 467. (Chicago : The Open 

 Court Pubhshing Company. London : Kegan Paul, 

 Trench, Triibner and Co., Ltd., 1899.) 



IN order to fully appreciate the aim and object of the 

 talented author of this work, it is necessary to quote 

 a few passages from his preface. Prof. Hueppe points 

 out that the natural history side of bacteriology has in 

 the past been kept too much in the foreground, while the 

 scientific side has been relegated almost exclusively to the 

 sections dealing with protective inoculations. 



"This mode of treatment," continues the author, "no 

 longer suffices to meet a growing and legitimate demand. 

 In this book I wish to present an attempt at a critical 

 and comprehensive exposition of bacteriology, basing it 

 clearly and solidly upon scientific conceptions. I make 

 this essay in order that our knowledge of the causes of 

 putrefaction, fermentation and disease, together with the 

 methods of the prevention and cure of infection, may 

 develop in a way free from all ontology. It is sometimes 

 of use to restate things which are axiomatic. The 

 ■• entities' or ' essences,' which, even in the age which has 

 discovered the law of the conservation of energy and the 

 evolution of living things by means of the struggle for 

 existence, still haunt the mind of the physician who 

 remains sunk in the ontological contemplation of diseased 

 cells and disease-producing bacteria, are a mere remnant 

 of priest medicine, and can have no place in any scientific 

 conception of biology, pathology or hygiene." 



The first chapter (pp. 1-49) in the book deals with 

 " The structure of bacteria." No greater authority on 

 this subject than the author could be named ; yet, m 

 view of the highly important questions discussed in 

 Chapters iv.-vii., one is led to doubt whether this portion 

 of the book is not a little out of keeping with the scope 

 of the work as a whole. 



The "Vital phenomena of bacteria" are discussed in 

 Chapter ii. (pp. 50-138). Although the subject is most 

 ably dealt with, most of the information given may be 

 found in nearly every text-book of bacteriology. Con- 

 sidering the important character of the rest of the book, 

 this chapter seems unduly long. 



In Chapter iii. (pp. 146-219) a brief description of the 

 most important pathogenic bacteria is given. Here the 

 author paves the way for the discussion of the important 

 questions which crop up later in the book. It is curious 

 to note that Prof. Hueppe, although considering that the 

 evidence is most in favour of B. typhosus and B. coli 

 cotnmunis being two distinct species, is by no means 

 dogmatic on the point. Thus he says, on p. 193 : — 



"There are, in fact, at present two opposing views. 

 The one, which to me seems to be the better founded, is that 

 the bacteria of typhoid fever and B. coli communis are 

 two distinct species. The other view is that the common 

 intestinal saphrophyte, B. coli communis, is an asco-para- 

 site which, under special conditions, may become able to 

 mvade the body and penetrate into the living organism, 

 where it undergoes transformation into the typhoid 



bacterium." 



NO. 1595, VOL. 62] 



At the end of this chapter Mr. Jordan contributes a 

 brief rhume of Sanarelli's recent papers upon yellcnv 

 fever. The summary is concisely and well written, and 

 enables one to comprehend without difficulty the extent 

 and value of Sanarelli's researches. The remaining 

 chapters are full of originality, and invite most careful 

 reading and serious attention. 



In Chapter iv. (pp. 221-274) the "Cause of infectious 

 disease " is discussed with conspicuous ability. The 

 author endeavours to show what is false and what is 

 scientifically tenable in the different conceptions of the 

 true and sufficient cause of epidemic disease upheld by 

 such authorities as Koch, Virchow and Pettenkoffer. 



" Virchow finds an internal cause in the diseased cells ; 

 his opponents see an external cause in the germs that 

 bring about the disease ; and Pettenkoffer sees a cause in 

 those external conditions which play no particiilar role 

 either in the eyes of Virchow or in those of Virchow's chief 

 opponents." 



If the writer does not altogether succeed in his object, 

 he at all events widens our horizon of thought to an 

 extent which is quite remarkable. It will not be out of 

 place to quote a single paragraph — 



" If the facts are considered in a scientific spirit 

 rigorously and without prepossession, it is seen that the 

 sum of the qualities of a disease germ is only apparently 

 the ' essence ' of an infectious disease, that, in reality, 

 here as elsewhere, a true internal cause is to be found, 

 inherent in the internal organisation of man. Just as in 

 all natural processes, without exception, so here, the 

 disease germs act as liberating impulses, and are able to 

 set free only what in the form of a predisposition toward 

 disease is in some way prefigured both in nature and 

 amount in the human body." 



In Chapter v. (pp. 275-294) the author asks the ques- 

 tion — " Can disease be cured by combating the cause ? ' 



In speaking of Hahnemann's doctrine of the value of 

 small doses, the author passes the following criticism on 

 homcKopathy : — 



" Even the childish extravagance which found vent in 

 homoeopathy could not impair the sound kernel of truth 

 which the doctrine contained." 



.A.lthough Prof. Hueppe's whole book ought to be read 

 by all those physicians who are modest enough (happily, 

 the great majority) to believe that there is something still 

 to be learnt in the theory and practice of medicine, this 

 chapter is especially full of suggestions and original obser- 

 vations, which the thoughtful practitioner would do well 

 to study. 



Chapter vi. (pp. 295-397) treats of " Immunity, pro- 

 tective inoculation, and curative inoculation." It is, 

 perhaps, the most important chapter in the book, and it 

 is impossible in the limits of this notice to do the author 

 full justice. It may, however, be said that it deals with a 

 most difficult and complex subject in a way that is to be 

 highly commended. That it is " stiff" reading cannot be 

 denied, but that is not the fault of the writer, but of the 

 subject. A careful perusal of this portion of the book 

 will well repay the physician as well as the bacteriologist. 



The " Prevention of infectious diseases by combating 

 the cause of the disease " is the text of Chapter vii. (pp. 

 398-439). Here we are not altogether in sympathy with 

 the writer, although his views are clearly and forcibly 



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