AND IN EPIDEMICS. 65 



poison upon which this very curious disease depends, is 

 vegetable, may be strongly inferred from the fact that its 

 virus is capable of resisting, not only the heat of boiling 

 water, but the action of caustic lime prolonged for at least 

 two weeks. (Gruby.) No animal substance or even ovum, 

 is known to have the power of resisting such agents, while, 

 according to Cagniard de la Tour, the spori of the fungi 

 can withstand means of destruction quite as potent. And, 

 on the authority of many authors, we know that " unlike 

 most seeds, they (the spori of the fungi) seem capable of 

 resisting the prolonged heat of boiling water, infused in 

 which, and poured upon the ground, they are still capable 

 of producing, each after its kind." (Badham.) So tena- 

 cious of its integrity and power is the virus of malignant 

 pustule, that it can retain its destructive properties even 

 when the wool or hair has been cleansed and woven into 

 cloth, or the hide converted into leather. (Bayer.) 



In this instance we have a disease originating in a graz- 

 ing animal, probably from its food, when mildewed, which 

 disease may be propagated by inoculation or ingestion, 

 and of which the germs resist the heat of boiling water, 

 the caustic action of lime, the detergents of the washer 

 and weaver, and the prolonged tanning of the leather- 

 dresser. Nothing known to us but the spores or nucleoli 

 of the fungi are capable of accounting for these pheno- 

 mena. Vimat, a commissioner of the Royal Academy of 

 Medicine, made a report to his constituents, on an epi- 

 demic which occurred in the department of La Muerthe 

 near Marsal, which began in the cattle fed on recently in- 

 undated swamps. It was a carbunculous affection, which 

 without material change of character, affected subsequently 

 the inhabitants of the same district. (Fourcroy, Med. 

 Eclairee.) 



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