284 TEXT-BOOK OF BACTERIOLOGY. 



said to also furnish preventive inoculation against the vibrio Metsch- 

 nikoff, etc. 



All these assertions have been proved groundless by Pfeiffer's 

 and Nocht's investigations. The other observations of Gamaleia 

 regarding the vibrio Metschnikoff, its mode of infection and dis- 

 tribution under natural conditions, as also the far-reaching conclu- 

 sions and criticisms of the action of Koch's bacteria, are conse- 

 quently devoid of interest and reliability. 



XI. EMMEEICH'S BACILLUS. 



We will now consider a bacillus which is, indeed, only remotely 

 and superficially related to the group of micro-organisms above 

 discussed, and which strayed by a mere accident into that distin- 

 guished company. 



It is easy to understand that the powerful revolution in our 

 views regarding the nature of such prominent diseases as tubercu- 

 losis and cholera (brought about scarcely two years ago by the 

 discoveries of one man) would- meet with contradiction. The firm 

 structure of the proofs by which Koch established the significance 

 of the tubercle bacillus could not be shaken. But the results of his 

 investigations of cholera seemed to offer an opportunity of finding 

 out defects and mistakes in their connection and of thus calling 

 their value in question. 



In the first place (though only for a short time), the regular 

 occurrence of the comma bacillus in all cases of genuine cholera was 

 contested, but soon the most prejudiced among those who subjected 

 Koch's statements to repeated examinations admitted unreservedly 

 this point of his claims. 



It was furthermore asserted that the comma bacillus was not 

 peculiar to cholera and that it was also found in other conditions, 

 or that it was merely a harmless and common tenant of our diges- 

 tive tract. 



Especially Lewes and Klein, in England, pretended to have as- 

 certained that curved comma-like rods and even spirilla could be 

 found at any time in the saliva of healthy people, and declared 

 them to be identical with Koch's bacteria. 



The observation itself was correct ; but these micro-organisms 

 have, in fact, except in form and general appearance, nothing in 

 common with the genuine comma bacilli. They resist, above all, 

 every attempt at cultivation on our artificial media, for which 

 reason there is but little danger of their giving rise to mistake and 

 misinterpretation. 



