The Evolution of Bacteriology 23 



Surgical methods of treatment depending for their suc- 

 cess upon exclusion of the air, and of course, incidentally 

 if unknowingly, exclusion of bacteria, seem to have been 

 practised quite early. Theodoric, of Bologne, about 1260 

 taught that the action of the air upon wounds induced a 

 pathologic condition predisposing to suppuration. lie also 

 treated wounds with hot wine fomentations. The wine 

 was feebly antiseptic, kept the surface free from bacteria, 

 and the treatment was, in consequence, a modification of 

 what in later centuries formed antiseptic surgery. 



Henri de Monde ville in 1306 went even further than 

 Theodoric, whom he followed, and taught the necessity 

 of bringing the edges of a wound together, covered it with 

 an exclusive plaster compounded of turpentine, resin, and 

 wax, and then applied the hot wine fomentation. 



Plencig, of Vienna, became convinced that there was an 

 undoubted connection between the microscopic animal- 

 cules exhibited by the microscope and the origin of dis- 

 ease, and advanced this opinion as early as 1762. Unfor- 

 tunately, his opinions seem not to have been accepted by 

 others, and were soon forgotten. 



In 1671 Kircher wrote a book in which he expressed the 

 opinion that puerperal fever, purpura, measles, and various 

 other fevers were the result of a putrefaction caused by 

 worms or animalcules. His opinions were thought by his 

 contemporaries to be founded upon too little evidence, and 

 were not received. 



In 1704 John Colbach described "a new and secret 

 method of treating wounds by which healing took place 

 quickly, without inflammation or suppuration." 



Boehm succeeded in 1838 in demonstrating the occur- 

 rence of yeast plants in the stools of cholera, and con- 

 jectured that the process of fermentation was concerned 

 in the causation of that disease. 



In 1840 Henle considered all the evidence that had 

 been collected, and concluded that the cause of the infec- 

 tious diseases was to be sought for in minute living organ- 

 isms or fungi. He may be looked upon as the real pro- 

 pounder of the GERM THEORY OF DISEASE, for he not only 

 collected facts and expressed opinions, but also investi- 

 gated the subject ably. The requirements which he formu- 

 lated in order that the theory might be proved were so 

 severe that he was never able to attain to them with the 



