6o4 Microscopic Organisms in Blood of Man and Animals. [part hi. 



ceded that the schizomycetes are more akin to plants than to animals, and the advocates 

 of the vital theory of fermentation have adopted this view and demonstrated to very 

 general satisfaction that a like explanation still suffices to account for initiating 

 the changes in question. So far as I am aware, the view is no longer held that 

 animalcules are competent to start fermentative processes, notwithstanding the circum- 

 stance that microzoa, tolerably high in the scale of beings, are very ordinary accompani- 

 ments of microphytes in solutions undergoing active changes of this character. They are 

 not, however, such constant accompaniments as fungi, nor are they recognised so early 

 in solutions of this nature — a more or less distinctly marked interval being observed 

 between the occurrence of manifest chemical change in them and the appearance of 

 protozoa. With regard to protophytes, however, very often no such interval can be 

 clearly demonstrated, and it has been consequently concluded that no such interval 

 occurs — that fermentation of suitable fluids and the advent of fungi are essentially 

 synchronous. 



A.— Flagellated Organisms in the Blood of healthy Rats. 



It will be recollected that in a former chapter one of the fundamental tenets of 

 M. Pasteur's creed was cited, — namely, that neither microscopic organisms nor their 

 germs were ever found in the blood of an animal in health. Doubtless our conception 

 of what implies good health may differ, and especially so when it is the health of an 

 animal, and not of a person, that may be the subject of debate. If it be maintained 

 that an animal affected with either epiphytes or entophytes, with epizoa or entozoa, 

 is not in the enjoyment of full health, then there can be but few perfectly healthy 

 animals. The organs of some animals are almost never absolutely free from parasites. 

 It would nevertheless be scarcely justifiable to pronounce such animals as diseased in 

 the ordinary sense. * 



So much being admitted, it is scarcely possible that this portion of M. Pasteur's 

 doctrine can be correct. For some years past I have taken considerable interest in 

 this matter, and my attention was drawn to it in a special manner in May last year, 

 by my having been directed by the Grovernment to make inquiries regarding the 

 spirillum of Bombay-fever, already referred to. Whilst doing this I had occasion to 

 examine the blood of a considerable number of animals, and eventually (July 1877) 

 detected organisms in the blood of a rat which, at first sight, I took to be of the nature 

 either of vibrions or spirilla. The blood when transferred to the microscope appeared 

 to quiver with life, but for some considerable time nothing could be detected to account 

 for this animated condition, as the blood corpuscles were somewhat closely packed. 

 On diluting the blood with a half per cent, solution of salt, motile filaments could be 

 seen rushing through the serum, and tossing the blood corpuscles about in all directions. 

 Their movements were of a more undulatory character than are the movements of 

 spirilla, and the filaments were thicker, more of a vibrionic aspect. They were pale, 

 trausluccut beings, without any trace of visible structure or granularity ; but, as their 



