28 PATHOGENIC MICRO-OEG ANISMS IN THE BODY. 



with greater difficulty. Anthrax bacilli injected in large quanti- 

 ties directly into the circulation disappeared from the blood in four 

 hours ; but within twenty to twenty-four hours they reappeared 

 and the animal died. As the bacilli disappeared from the circulat- 

 ing blood localization in internal organs took place, and their 

 reappearance in the circulation only implies an enormous increase 

 in number, and invariably resulted in the death of the animal. 

 Anthrax is a blood disease ; but the blood is rather the protector 

 of the organism against pathogenic microbes. 



Watson Cheyne("On Suppuration and Septic Diseases," British 

 Medical Journal, March 3, 1888) found in his experiments on the 

 presence or absence of microorganisms in the living tissues that, 

 while germs were absent when the animal was in a good state of 

 health, yet if the vitality of the animal was depressed, say, by 

 administering large doses of phosphorus for some time, organisms 

 could be found at times in the blood and tissues of the body. 

 Again, it has been found that, while some microorganisms when 

 introduced into the living body in small number, disappear after a 

 short time, when a large quantity of the cultivation is introduced 

 the tissues of the body are injured by the preexisting ptomaines 

 and the germs retain their vitality and often produce their specific 

 pathogenic effects. Diminution of the force of the circulation also 

 plays an important part in the production of microbic diseases. 

 Thus, according to Cornil, a septic nephritis is readily produced by 

 ligating the renal arteries for some time and then, after removal of 

 the ligature, injecting pyogenic organisms into the blood. Heubner 

 made the same experiment on the bladder and found that by inter- 

 rupting the arterial supply for a certain time coagulation-necrosis 

 occurred in the protoplasm of the epithelial cells which furnished 

 the most favorable conditions for septic infection when septic 

 germs were introduced into the circulation. 



Coruil also found that if a simple nephritis is induced by the 

 administration of cantharides, the pathological conditions thus pro- 

 duced furnished the most favorable soil for septic nephritis, when 

 the animal was infected with septic germs. 



