2,0 Objects Seen in Cholera Evacuations. [part i. 



the expense of the nitrogenous material, notably the epithelium of the intestinal 

 canal. 



It will, of course, be evident that the attempts, already described, to produce a 

 peculiar fungus by cultivation of choleraic discharges in which bodies somewhat resembling 

 " cysts " and " spores " existed, equally favourable conditions were at hand for the 

 development of their ultimate elements ; — seeing, however, that the fungi which then 

 appeared possessed no peculiarity, one may conclude that either the attempts to cause the 

 development of the particular micrococcus of cholera were failures, or that no cholera 

 '' micrococcus " existed, at least not as the germs of a fungus. 



During the earlier part of the inquiry it was thought that a greater number of minute 

 bodies of an organic nature existed in cholera stools than were found elsewhere ; to this 

 impression the mind was evidently, though unconsciously, predisposed, from the fact that 

 the fermentation theories of cholera, necessitated, to a more or less extent, the supposition 

 that monads,* bacteria, and vibriones (Plate XVII, Fig. Ixiv) flourish to a greater extent 

 in this than in other diseases. Thus far I have not found this to be the case ; indeed, the 

 discharges of cholera patients, if examined immediately, do not contain such quantities 

 of these minute bodies, especially if the stools have been voided in rapid succession, conse- 

 quently have not been long detained in the intestinal canal. Neither have I been able, 

 after repeated observations, to find that, during the decomposition of a cholera discharge, 

 a greater number of the minute bodies associated with putrefaction were developed in it 

 than were developed under similar circumstances, such as the amount of heat and moisture 

 in ordinary alvine discharges ; nor have I been able to find that any peculiar growth, 

 animal or vegetable, will proceed from the one which does not proceed from the other. 

 On this point, however, the number of observations have been far too few — the sources of 

 fallacy being so many — to enable one to speak with confidence, but I trust in the next 

 report to be able to furnish more minute data concerning this matter. On an average, out 

 of a dozen experiments undertaken, not more than one is brought to a satisfactory 

 conclusion, which is not to be wondered at, when it is considered that the quantity of 

 matter experimented upon does not exceed one-fourth the size of a drop of water ; that 

 this requires the free admission of atmospheric air, and that it has to be examined at least 

 daily, for a month or more, often for hours together. Either the fluid suddenly evaporates, 

 or the lens touches the covering glass, thus disturbing the geography of the preparation ; 

 or, which is the most frequent accident of all, and one of the most untoward, a minute 

 spore of some fungus falls from the air upon the moist slide — germinates ; the filament 

 insinuates itself through the little air-orifice which had been made in the walls of the 

 growing cells, and reaches the preparation, where it not only obscures the field, but alters 

 the chemical and other forces taking place in that droplet, and the forms of life which had 



* Irrespective of any theory as to the nature or mode of formation of these minute bodies, I have followed tlie 

 example of Professor Hughes Bennett in adopting the terms " monads " when simple molecules are meant 

 (Fig. lxiv-1) ; "bacteria" when the bodies are slightly elongated (2); " vibriones " when still more so ; and 

 " leptothrix " when presenting a linked appearance (4). 



