8 HISTORICAL. 
nitely the characters of the various microérganisms found in pus 
from acute abscesses, ete. 
The tetanus bacillus was discovered in 1854 by Nicolaier, a stu- 
dent in the laboratory of Prof. Fliigge, of Gottingen. That this 
bacillus is the cause of tetanus in man has been demonstrated by the 
subsequent researches of numerousinvestigators. For anexact knowl- 
edge of its biological characters we are especially indebted to Kitasato. 
So far as human pathology is concerned, no important pathogenic 
microédrganism was discovered after the year 1884 until the year 1892. 
After numerous unsuccessful researches by competent bacteriologists, 
a bacillus was discovered by Pfeiffer, of Berlin, and independently 
by Canon, which is believed to be the specific cause of influenza. 
In 1894 the distinguished Japanese bacteriologist, Kitasato, dur- 
ing a visit to China made for the purpose, discovered the bacillus 
of the bubonic plague of the Orient. 
Finally, we may refer to the discovery of the antitoxins of diph- 
theria and of tetanus as among the most important events in the 
history of bacteriology and of scientific medicine. The name of Behr- 
ing has the first place in connection with this discovery. 
Having briefly passed in review some of the principal events in 
the progress of our knowledge in this department of scientific investi- 
gation, it will be of interest to students to know something more of 
the literature of bacteriology. Important papers have appeared in 
medical and scientific journals in all countries, and research work of 
value has been done by enthusiastic investigators of nearly every 
nation. The brilliant pioneer work done by Pasteur and by Koch has 
attracted to them many pupils and has made France and Germany 
the leading countries in this line of investigation. The very great 
advantages of Koch’s methods of research, introduced at the com- 
mencement of the last decade, have attracted many students from 
various parts of the world to Berlin, and to other cities of Germany 
where instruction was to be obtained from some of Koch’s earlier 
pupils. But to-day bacteriological laboratories have been established 
in all parts of the world, and it is no longer necessary to go to Ger- 
many to obtain such instruction. The literature of the subject is. 
however, largely in the German and French languages. We can 
only refer here to such periodicals as are principally devoted to bac- 
teriological research work. 
The Zeitschrift fiir Hygiene has been published since 1886, and 
contains numerous valuable papers, contributed for the most part bv 
the pupils of Koch and of Fligge, who are the editors of the journal. 
The Annales de l’ Institut Pasteur is a monthly journal which 
has been published since 1888. Itis edited by Duclaux, and contains 
many important papers and reviews. «+ well as the statistics of the 
