38 Objects Seen in Cholera Evacuations. [part i. 



sac * which surrounds the animalculae. Frequently such cysts are seen to have become 

 ruptured some time before the escape of the contents (Plate XX, Fig. Ixxxiii, 1), and 

 it not seldom happens that the latter after its escape does not rupture the thin inner 

 capsule (2), but remains perfectly quiet for two or three hours. Old cysts persist for 

 some days after being forsaken by the infusoria (3), and not infrequently the latter 

 has left a few granules to mark its former abode (4) ; two or three may also develop 

 in these thicker kinds of cysts. The size of the cyst bears no positive relation to the 

 number of bodies it may contain ; a comparatively small cyst may contain four 

 embryos, allowing of active movements, as existed in the one delineated at 5. 



At the end of a month numbers were seen distinctly ciliated ; a nucleus became 

 developed, as well as a contractile vacuole, and a current was established at the 

 anterior portion of its body, so that particles were drawn towards it (6). 



Illustration IV. : — 



The fresh dejection of a cholera patient was examined almost immediately. 

 The sediment was found to be composed of a slimy substance dotted with granules 

 and molecules, intermixed with a great number of more or less circular bodies, 

 some hyaline, some granular, many of which appeared to me to be the still 

 condition of animalculse, as already alluded to, together with several euglena-like 

 bodies, disporting themselves in the more fluid part of the field. A careful sketch 

 of these objects is given at Fig. Ixxxiv. There were plenty of monads and 

 bacteria in the field, but the vibriones were exceedingly small and short. 



A solution of carmine in glycerine after prolonged action seemed to stain 

 everything in the field to the same extent ; the varying density of the colour 

 seemed to depend entirely on the thickness of the layer; that is, a larger amount 

 of colouring matter was present when the layer was thick (Fig. Ixxxv). 



(a) A minute quantity of this stool was placed in the Maddox growing slide 

 already described, page 33. During the first two days the objects became more and 

 more disintegrated, until on the third day not a trace existed of the circular bodies 

 and animalculse previously existing. 



On the fourth day a few creamy-looking spots were seen at the edge of the 

 preparation, consisting of innumerable molecules (monads) manifesting very great 

 activity, together with some short vibriones. 



This condition had increased greatly by the next day, the creamy appearance 

 having extend6d to the entire margin of the fluid, to the extent indicated by the 

 dark outline of the preparation in the figure of the Maddox slide at Plate XVII, Ixxv. 



In the midst of these molecules little heaps were seen to form, in which no 

 motion was evident, nor yet any definite structure, but amorphous granules, around 



* This, according to some writers, is the " cyst," outside which is the " cell," surrounded by the hyaline 

 gelatinous " veil." — (xchlrier.^ 



