26 Introduction 



surface of the wound, and the instruments used. He 

 finally concluded every operation by a protective dressing 

 to exclude the entrance of germs at a subsequent period. 



Listerism, or " antisepsis," originated in 1875, and when 

 Koch published his famous work on the "Wundinfections- 

 krankheiten" (traumatic infectious diseases), in 1878, it 

 spread slowly at first, but surely in the end, to all depart- 

 ments of surgery and obstetrics. 



From time to time, as the need for them was realized, the 

 genius of investigators provided new devices which materially 

 aided in their work, and have made possible many discoveries 

 that must otherwise have failed. Among them may be men- 

 tioned the improvement of the compound microscope, the use 

 of sterilized culture fluids by Pasteur, the introduction of 

 solid culture media and the isolation methods by Koch, 

 the use of the cotton plug by Schroeder and van Dusch, 

 and the introduction of the anilin dyes by Weigert. 



It is interesting to note that after the discovery of the 

 anthrax bacillus by Pollender and Davaine, in 1849, there 

 was a period of nearly twenty-five years during which no 

 important pathogenic organisms were discovered, but during 

 which technical methods were being elaborated, making 

 possible a rapid succession of subsequent important dis- 

 coveries. 



Thus, in 1873, Obermeier discovered Spirillum ober- 

 meieri of relapsing fever. 



In 1879 Hansen announced the discovery of bacilli in 

 the cells of leprous nodules, and Neisser discovered the 

 gonococcus. 



In 1880 the bacillus of typhoid fever was observed by 

 Eberth and independently by Koch, Pasteur published his 

 work upon "Chicken -cholera," and Sternberg described the 

 pneumococcus, calling it Micrococcus pasteuri. 



In 1882 Koch made himself immortal by his discovery 

 of and work upon the tubercle bacillus, and in the same year 

 Pasteur published a work upon "Rouget du Pore," and 

 Loffler and Shiitz discovered the bacillus of glanders. 



In 1884 Koch reported the discovery of the "comma 

 bacillus," the cause of cholera, and in the same year Loffler 

 isolated the diphtheria bacillus, and Nicolaier the tetanus 

 bacillus. 



In 1892 Canon and PfeifTer discovered the bacillus of 

 influenza. 



