GERMS. 87 



Again, the bacteriologists admit they have no germ 

 that will cause cholera, page 341, Green's Pathology 

 states, "that during an epidemic of cholera the drink- 

 ing water of Versailles contained the cholera vihros, 

 yet those who drank the water remained unaffected," 

 and "that the organism persisted in the water for 

 months after the epidemic had ceased, and therefore the 

 appearance of the microbe in the water did not neces- 

 sarily involve the appearance of an epidemic." 



All must admit that antitoxins cannot be intelli- 

 gently or successfully prepared without first knowing 

 the nature of the germs or poison against which they 

 are to be used. Then why do we have so many, and 

 why do we have them before the discovery of the germs 

 for which the various antitoxins are prepared? The 

 National Medical Review for May, 1900, page 620, con- 

 tains an article in which antitoxin is mentioned. The 

 article states that a tube containing 1 c. c., or about 

 15 drops, sells for $1.00, and a vial containing 10 c. c., 

 or about 150 drops, sells for $7.50. Fifteen drops of 

 blood-serum from a dumb brute $1.00, 150 drops of 

 blood-serum from a dumb brute $7.50! Antitoxin for 

 diphtheria costs about $3.00 for each dose. Merck & 

 Co. speak of antitoxin as a commercial article. That 

 was a happy thought for the manufacturers. Why do 

 we have antitoxins first ? Why that is well, perhaps 

 the bacteriologists themselves would rather answer that 

 question. 



The Health Boards of New York City and Phila- 

 delphia speak of the germs of scarlet fever and of 

 measles as a matter of course, and for years bacteri- 



