1. CONCERNING THE THEORY OF THE FUNGOID ORIGIN OF CHOLERA AND 

 THE MICROSCOPIC OBJECTS FOUND IN CHOLERAIC EVACUATIONS. 



The theory of the fungoid origin of cholera is based upon the result of certain 

 experiments instituted by Professor Hallier,* with the view of ascertaining whether 

 any special organisms could, by means of artificial cultivations, be obtained from 

 choleraic discharges. These experiments have been repeated many times in Calcutta, 

 but as the daily notes of each cultivation would occupy so much space, I propose 

 giving a short summary of a few of the cultivations, illustrated by some of the 

 camera lucida drawings which have been accumulated during the investigation. 

 It may, however, previous to doing so, be well to state, in as few words as possible, 

 what the theory really is. As the Professor has published the result of his 

 labours, a short epitome of his brochure, weeded of as many technicalities as such 

 a subject will permit, together with a selection of the leading figures in the plate 

 attached to the book, will, it is thought, best serve to convey his meaning. 



Some choleraic discharges were sent to the Professor at Jena, obtained from a 

 patient at Berlin during the epidemic of 1866, and another specimen from a 

 patient at Elberfeld during the epidemic in 1867. These were examined microscopic- 

 ally, and found to contain : — 



1. Cysts of a yellow or brownish colour, which he for some time believed to be the 

 fructification of urocystis ; some of these had a very irregular outline, and at first sight 

 seemed to possess no organic structure, caution being necessary not to confound them 

 with masses of fat ; application of pressure was, however, found sufficient to discriminate 

 between them. A drawing is given of some of these in a swelled, broken up condition 

 (Plate I, 1). 



2. Here and there a few other cysts were seen more distinctly organised, considered 

 to be of the same kind as the foregoing ; they were spherical or oval cysts varying con- 



'siderably in size, enclosing a number of yellowish shining spores ; the spores also varying 

 in size, as may be seen by a reference to the accompanying figures (Plate I, 2). 



3. Grroups of swollen gelatinous spores surrounded by finely molecular matter 

 (Plate I, 3). Others appear granular, and some show indication of fission. 



4. Micrococcus. — The molecular matter just alluded to, supposed to have originated 

 from the breaking up of the plasma in the " spore," a little heap often being observed, 

 corresponding to the previously existing spore, called a " micrococcus colony " (Plate I, 4 a), 

 which at b is still further broken up ; at c a group of " colonies " is seen corresponding 

 to the mass of spores previously contained in a cyst whose walls have disappeared. The 

 minute protoplasmic molecules constituting these colonies were seen to adhere to various 

 objects in the fluid, and especially to the particles of epithelium — in fact, feeding upon 

 them ; this being invariably the way in which vegetable parasites first attack animal 



* " Das Cholera Contagium." Von Dr. Ernst Hallier, Lcipsiw, 1867. 



