178 PHYSIOLOGY OF THE BACTERIA. 



pus, and preserve it in the open air for some time, 

 we may follow the increasing development of these 

 germs. An important remark, due to Dr. Molliere 

 of Lyons, is that the phenomena of putrefaction 

 are hastened by the presence of blood in the puru- 

 lent liquid. A quantity of pus drawn by aspira- 

 tion from a deep abscess, and not mixed with blood, 

 was exposed to the air for fifteen days, without 

 any bad odor being developed. 



Bacteria in Purulent Collections not Exposed 

 to the Air. — In 1875, Dr. Albert Bergeron com- 

 municated to the Academy of Sciences (Seance of 

 Feb. 26) the results of numerous observations 

 made in the service of Prof. Gosselin, for the 

 purpose of ascertaining if the pus of abscesses 

 contains bacteria. The following are the conclu- 

 sions of his memoir : — 



1. Vibrios are found in the pus of abscesses, 

 without any contact with the external air and 

 without, usually, any indication that the organism 

 is seriously infected by their presence ; 2. We can- 

 not admit that in these cases the vibrios have pen- 

 etrated into the interior of the abscess through the 

 lymphatic system, or through the circulatory sys- 

 tem, both being intact. The pus of warm abscesses 

 in adults often contains vibrios ; if they occur in 

 the case of infants the fact has not been observed ; 

 3. The pus of cold abscesses in the adult, as in the 

 infant, never contains them ; 4. The vibrios may 

 be considered as indicating a serious inflammatory 

 state, and a certain tendency to decomposition of 



