24 Introduction 



the surface of the wound, and the instruments used. He finally 

 concluded every operation by a protective dressing to exclude the 

 entrance of germs at a subsequent period. 



Listerism, or "antisepsis," originated in 1875, and when Koch 

 published his famous work on the "Wundinfectionskrankheiten" 

 (Traumatic Infectious Diseases), in 1878, and spread slowly at first, 

 but surely in the end, to all departments of surgery and obstetrics. 

 From time to time, as the need for them was realized, the genius 

 of investigators provided new devices which materially aided in their 

 work, and have made possible many discoveries that must otherwise 

 have failed. Among them may be mentioned the improvement of 

 the compound microscope, the use of sterilized culture fluids by 

 Pasteur, the introduction of sohd culture media and the isolation 

 methods by Koch, the use of the cotton plug by Schroder and van 

 Dusch, and the introduction of the anilin dyes by Weigert. 



It is interesting to note that after the discovery of the anthrax 

 bacillus by PoUender and Davaine, in 1849, there was a period of 

 nearly twenty-five years during which no important pathogenic 

 organisms were discovered, but during which technical methods were 

 being elaborated, making possible a rapid succession of subsequent 

 important discoveries. 



Thus, in 1873, Obermeier discovered Spirillum obermeieri of 

 relapsing fever. 



In 1879 Hansen announced the discovery of bacilli in the cells of 

 leprous nodules, and Neisser discovered the gonococcus. 



In 1 88a the bacillus of typhoid fever was observed by Eberth and 

 independently by Koch, Pasteur pubUshed his work upon " Chicken- 

 cholera," and Sternberg described the pneumococcus, calling it 

 Micrococcus pasteuri. 



In 1882 Koch made himself immortal by his discovery of and 

 work upon the tubercle bacillus, and in the same year Pasteur 

 pubUshed a work upon "Rouget du pore," and Loffler and Shiitz 

 discovered the bacillus of glanders. 



In 1884 Koch reported the discovery of the "comma bacillus," 

 the cause of cholera, and in the same year LofiSer isolated the 

 diphtheria bacillus, and Nicolaier the tetanus bacillus. 

 In 1892 Canon and Pfeiffer discovered the bacillus of influenza. 

 In 1894 Yersin and Kitasato independently isolated the baciUus 

 causing the bubonic plague, then prevalent at Hong-Kong. 



A new era in bacteriology, and probably the most triumphant 

 achievement of scientific medicine, was inaugurated in 1890, when 

 Behring discovered the principles of the "blood-serum therapy." 

 Since that time investigations have been largely along the lines of 

 immunity, immunization, and the therapeutic serums, the names of 

 Behring, Kitasato, Wernicke, Roux, Ehrlich, Metchnikoff, Bordet, 

 Wassermann, Shiga, Madsen, and Arrhenius taking front rank. 

 The discovery of the Treponema pallidum, the specific organism 



