Prof. H. J. Detmers on a Pathogenic SchizopJiyte. 475 



animal lieat of a pig is reduced, by a continued treatment with 

 carbolic acid, from tlie normal (102° to 104° F.) to an abnor- 

 mally low temperature (say 96° to 97° F.), every inoculation 

 with fresh infectious material has so far proved to remain 

 ineffective. Further, the various antiseptics which liave 

 proved to be good prophylactics are very dissimilar in their 

 chemical affinities and actions ; and their prophylactic eifect 

 cannot very well be explained if the infectious principle is 

 a chemical agency, a virus, or a poison, but is explained if 

 the same consists in something endowed with life and j)ower 

 of propagation. 



3. If the morbid process, the morbid changes effected^ par- 

 ticularly the exudations and extravasations of blood on the 

 lungs and in the skin, and the qualitatively unchanged con- 

 dition of the blood (that is, excepting such changes in its 

 composition as are evidently the product or necessary conse- 

 quence of the morbid changes) are taken into consideration, 

 it becomes obvious that something which causes obstructions 

 in the capillary system (embolism) must constitute the cause; 

 and nothing whatever able to accomplish that result can be 

 found, except the colonies or clusters of Schizophytes, the 

 Zoo^/cea-masses imbedded in a viscous substance, while, on 

 the other hand, these Zoo^Zcea-masses are never absent in a 

 case of Swine-plague. 



If I am allowed to digress a little, it may be here men- 

 tioned that I am well aware of the fact that German and 

 French investigators claim for certain, and it may be for all, 

 kinds of pathogenic Schizophytes chemical actions or fer- 

 menting properties ; and undoubtedly many of them, especially 

 among those belonging to the genus Bacillus (I mention B. 

 anthracis) and probably some others, do possess and exercise 

 such properties and cause fermentation. As to the Swine- 

 plague Schizophytes, I have not been able to observe any 

 fermenting effect or chemical action, except such as necessarily 

 results from depriving the animal organism of certain elements 

 and material, appropriated by the Schizophytes, and necessary 

 to their subsistence and propagation. All other morbid 

 changes appear to be the consequence of the obstruction of 

 the capillary system by the Zoo^/cea-masses, and therefore 

 are the product of a mechanical and not of a chemical agency. 

 4. The adversaries of the so-called " germ theory " of 

 disease, well knowing that a perfect separation of the Schizo- 

 phytes [Micrococci^ Bacteria^ or Bacilli^ as the case may be) 

 from their vehicles, the animal tissues and fluids, is impos- 

 sible, demand absolute proof. If conclusions may be drawn 



