PART III.] Bacterium, Vibrio and Spirillum, the Forms Found in Blood. 565 



than those of the former. This peculiarity, however, renders it much more difficult to 

 show that other (the " mould " and " sprout ") groups do not give rise to schizomycetes, as 

 it is impossible so to isolate the germs of other fungi as to exclude this group. Eventually, 

 however, he was able to satisfy himself on this -point also by first destroying by heat 

 all the fungal forms in a nutrient solution, and then permitting a mould to extend its 

 filaments into it. In this way he kept some solutions thus prepared for four years with 

 only the " mould " form of vegetation in them. 



Of the foregoing three groups of organisms, the only one which requires to be dealt 

 with here is the third — the schizomycetes — as it is only the various forms of this group 

 of the fungal family which have hitherto been unequivocally found in the blood. 



Another distinguished botanist. Professor Cohn of Breslau, has also paid much 

 attention to these low forms of life, and has recently devised a new system of classification 

 for them, taking as his starting point the dictum that the schizomycetes are more closely 

 related to algce than to fungi, and suggests, therefore, the term schizophytce for the family 

 in place of the name given by Nageli which has been in general use hitherto. Cohn 

 has, moreover, advanced the supposed diff"erences in physiological properties manifested 

 by some of these low growths as sufficient grounds for assigning to them specific desig- 

 nations. In doing this, Nageli says, Cohn has given expression to a generally entertained 

 opinion and one especially affected by the medical profession, but he (Nageli) is un- 

 acquainted with any facts in support of such a view. " I have," he writes, " during the 

 last ten years examined some thousands of different forms of fission-yeast cells, but 

 (excluding sarcince) I could not assert that there was any necessity to separate them 

 into even two specific kinds." * On the other hand, there is not sufficient evidence to show 

 that all the forms constitute in reality but one species. f 



Notwithstanding the circumstances that the schizomycetes assume, within certain 

 limits, such different aspects (and the experience of such an authority as Nageli on such a 

 matter as this cannot be lightly set aside) it is nevertheless convenient, irrespective of any 

 particular theories, that terms should be adopted which will suffice to distinguish the 

 leading forms. 



Dujardin suggested three terms for the group : (1) bacterium, (2) vibrio, and (3) 

 spirillum. Notwithstanding the great advance which has been made in our know- 

 ledge of these organisms since the date of Dujardin's classification, there still remains 

 very much to be done before anything like a satisfactory settlement of the matter can 

 be accomplished. It will, therefore, perhaps be better for the present to accept these 

 simple terms, especially as, with very trifling modifications, they are sufficient to indicate 

 all the forms which have hitherto been found in the blood. The following brief descrip- 

 tion will suffice to explain what forms of this group of organisms are comprehended by 

 the terms adopted : 1, Spherical bacteria — minute, vitalised bodies, barely visible with the 

 highest powers (fig. 37, A) ; 2, Elongated bacteria — almost equally minute cylindrical 



* Op. cit., p. 20. 



t Op. cit., p. 22. Also A. de Bary, " Ueber Schimmel und Hefe," 1869, 



