Septembeb 25, 1896] 



SCIENCE. 



429 



agency. And even in cases in which the 

 serum does possess antitoxic, or, as it would 

 seem in some cases, germicidal properties, 

 the bodies of the dead microbes must at 

 last be got rid of by phagocytosis, and some 

 recent observations would seem to indicate 

 that the useful elements of the serum may 

 be, in part at least, derived from the diges- 

 tive juices of the phagocytes. If ever there 

 was a romantic chapter in pathology, it has 

 surely been that of the story of phagocy- 

 tosis. 



I was myself peculiarly interested by 

 these observations of Metchnikoff 's, be- 

 cause they seemed to me to afford clear ex- 

 planation of the healing of wounds by first 

 intention under circumstances before in- 

 comprehensible. This primary union was 

 sometimes seen to take place in wounds 

 treated with water- dressing, that is to say, 

 a piece of wet lint covered with a layer of 

 oiled silk to keep it moist. This, though 

 cleanly when applied, was invariably putrid 

 within twenty-four hours. The layer of 

 blood between the cut surfaces was thus 

 exposed at the outlet of the wound to a 

 most potent septic focus. How was it pre- 

 vented from putrefying, as it would have 

 done under such influence if, instead of be- 

 ing between divided living tissues, it had 

 been between plates of glass or other indif- 

 ferent material? Pasteur's observations 

 pushed the question a step further. It now 

 was. How were the bacteria of putrefaction 

 kept from propagating in the decomposable 

 film ? Metchnikoff 's phagocytosis supplied 

 the answer. The blood between the lips of 

 the wound became rapidly peopled with 

 phagocytes, which kept guard against the 

 putrefactive microbes and seized them as 

 they endeavored to enter. 



If phagocytosis was ever able to cope 

 with septic microbes in so concentrated 

 and intense a form, it could hardly fail to 

 deal effectually with them in the very 

 mitigated condition in which they are pres- 



ent in the" air. "We are thus strongly con- 

 firmed in our conclusion that the atmos- 

 pheric dust may safely be disregarded in 

 our operations, and Metchnikoff' researches, 

 while they have illumined the whole pa- 

 thology of infective diseases, have beauti- 

 fully completed the theory of antiseptic 

 treatment in surgery. 



I might have taken equally striking illus- 

 trations of my theme from other depart- 

 ments in which microbes play no part. In 

 fact any attempt to speak of all that the 

 art of healing has borrowed from science 

 and cont^ributed to it during the past half- 

 century would involve a very extensive dis- 

 sertation on pathology and therapeutics. 

 I have culled specimens from a wide field; 

 and I only hope that in bringing them be- 

 fore you I have not overstepped the bounds 

 of what is fitting before a mixed company. 

 For many of you my remarks can have had 

 little if any novelty ; for others they may 

 perhaps possess some interest as showing 

 that Medicine is no unworthy ally of the 

 British Association; that, while her prac- 

 tice is ever more and more based on 

 science, the ceaseless efforts of her votaries 

 to improve what have been fittingly desig- 

 nated Quce prosunt omnibus artes are ever 

 adding largely to the sum of abstract 

 knowledge. Joseph Lister. 



THE BUFFALO 3IEETING OF THE AMERICAN 



ASSOCIATION FOB THE ADVANCE- 



3IENT OF SCIENCE. 



SECTION G BOTANY. 



The Botanical Section, G, of the A. A. A. 

 S., held very successful sessions during the 

 the meeting at Buffalo. Monday, the 24th 

 of August at 11:40 a. m., the Section was 

 organized and at 4:30 p. m., listened to the 

 address of Vice-President, N. L. Britton 

 on ' Botanical Gardens.' Tuesday, Wed- 

 nesday and Thursday were devoted to the 

 reading of papers and discussions. The 

 papers were as follows: 



