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scientists had vainly attempted to foist upon our superior 

 intelligence would be forever buried. The American 

 eagle, that implacable devourer of microscopic poultry, 

 would consent to leave for a brief time its favorite swamp 

 at the "delta of the Mississippi," and by a single act of 

 deglutition would teach our terrified friends, " the micro- 

 pathologists," to " take their eyes from their mounted 

 specimens," and engage in less disreputable pursuits. So 

 ran the widely advertised programme. After weeks of 

 joyous anticipation the appointed day arrived; a distin- 

 guished microscopist, whose skill in mycology had been 

 amply indicated by his failure to detect the bacilli always 

 present in leprous tissue, appeared in the arena armed 

 with the startling discovery that if caustic potash solution 

 be added to fattily degenerated tissue, crystals of fatty 

 acid appear ! The announcement was greeted by the 

 audience of assembled experts with rounds of applause 

 " Sic transit bacteria," etc. Again has free America re- 

 pelled the assaults of effete Europe. 



I had intended to offer some remarks upon this matter, 

 suggested by the evident fact that Koch's bacillus and 

 Schmidt's crystal were different objects; but criticism is 

 no longer necessary. Dr. Whittaker has stated the case 

 very clearly ; Dr. Hunt has shown that the crystal polar- 

 izes light, while the bacillus does not ; and I have re- 

 ceived from Dr. Schmidt a letter which disarms criticism. 



After reading his article, I sent him a slide of sputum 

 containing the bacilli ; in his reply he says, "From what 

 I understand now the minute crystalline rods which I dis- 

 covered are not identical with Koch's bacilli ; " and 

 later, "the failure with which I met in my attempts of 

 staining the bacillus tuberculosis, appears to have been 

 due to the worthless aniline oil which I have used." I 

 interpret these sentences as a candid admission that the 

 crystal and the bacillus are not identical, and shall there- 

 fore refrain from further remark. Such admission, by 

 proving sincerity of purpose, transfers to his friends of 

 the antibacterial "camp" the obloquy and chagrin con- 

 sequent upon the blare of trumpets with which this pub- 



