PATHOLOGY. 135 



more or less putrescence except the tubes with the pure bouillon as stated. Of 

 these closed test tubes, however, tubes 1 and 2 (the fresh venom) showed the 

 putrefactive changes to be much more pronounced than in the remaining tubes ; 

 but as we have seen putrefaction ensued much sooner in the tubes that were open 

 (tubes 3 and 4). 



As all the tubes showed putrefaction more or less, it is presumable that the 

 peptone and globulin accidentally contained bacteria, these substances not having 

 been sterilized at the commencement of the experiment. 



The contents of the tubes examined microscopically during and at the end of the 

 experiment showed the presence of bacteria of putrefaction in direct proportion to 

 the putrefaction changes. 



Imperfect as this experiment may be, it appears to establish the fact that fresh 

 venom promotes putrefactive changes comparatively more rapidly than the venom 

 peptone and globulin, but it also shows further that this power to produce putres- 

 cence is very much aided by the action of the air, and depends upon the presence 

 of bacteria contained in that air or in the venom. It was also evident that putre- 

 faction was considerably retarded in all the tubes that were plugged by the cotton, 

 and further that unplugged tubes containing sterilized soup, and exposed to contami- 

 nation from air showed also putrefaction but at a later date. 



Putrefaction Experiment with Muscular Tissue and Venom. — The following rough 

 experiment also appears to show that putrefactive changes develop in dead animal 

 tissues much more rapidly in the presence of venom than without it. 



Experiment. — A few drops of a solution of dry Crotalus venom were poured upon 

 a small piece of fresh muscle just removed from the thigh of a rabbit and placed 

 in a covered glass beaker. 



A similar preparation but without the addition of venom was made in a second 

 covered beaker. Temp. 70° to 80° F. 



Putrefactive changes began to appear in the specimen treated by the venom after 

 twenty-four hours, and after seventy-two hours were quite far advanced. Under 

 the microscope the muscular tissue showed necrotic alterations very similar to 

 those (to be described later) as occurring in experiments upon the living muscle. 

 A multitude of dumb-bell-shaped rod bacteria, some large bacilli and the micrococci 

 of the venom enormously multiplied, were seen in the decaying muscular substance. 



In the specimen of muscle not treated by venom, putrefactive changes were 

 delayed to the fifth day and then appeared to be much less conspicuous, showing 

 but few bacteria. The muscle fibres were uniformly cloudy and degenerated but 

 not broken down in the peculiar manner caused by venom. 



Experiments with Bouillon and Venom in Sealed Glass Btdbs, Venom being 

 thoroughly Sterilized. — More satisfactory and conclusive results were obtained from 

 the following experiments: — 



A number of small glass bulbs were filled with sterilized bouillon after the well- 

 known method of Dr. Sternberg, and after being thoroughly resterilized by boiling 

 the following preparations were made : — 



To each of six bulbs was added one grain of dry Crotalus venom, the venom 

 having been previously subjected to sterilization in a dry heat at 110° C. for one 



