THE BACTERIA IN SURGICAL LESIONS. 177 



first will much sooner develop Micrococcus, etc., 

 and in far greater numbers (L. Julien). Now 

 it is evident that this result is exactly applicable to 

 the subject which occupies us, since the pus of 

 wounds exposed to the air can be compared, in 

 a certain measure, to the infusions of dust. 



As to the elements found in pus, they are 

 equally variable. Most frequently the cocco-bac- 

 teria present themselves in the form of little chains 

 (strepto-bacteria). They rarely exhibit any move- 

 ment. The appearance of bacteria upon the sur- 

 face of wounds occurs at the end of sixteen to 

 twenty-four hours. During the first hours follow- 

 ing the division of the tissues, as is well known, 

 the only exudation which appears is a yellowish- 

 pink serum. In this inflammatory exudation, which 

 always contains a considerable quantity of blood 

 globules, the parasites do not at once appear. But, 

 as I have said, at the end of a day or two Micrococci 

 and Bacteria in chains, very small, and of average 

 size, make their appearance. It seems, then, as 

 has been remarked by G. Nepveu, to whom we 

 owe an excellent work on " The Role of Inferior 

 Organisms in Surgical Lesions," that this first se- 

 cretion of wounds is quite propitious for the de- 

 velopment of bacteria ; and, perhaps, we might be 

 able to draw from this fact an argument in favor 

 of their formation and their existence in the blood. 

 Later, with free suppuration, the inferior organ- 

 isms increase still more. It is, however, to be 

 remarked that they are never very abundant upon 



the surface of healthy wounds. If we gather this 



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