THE DISCOVERY OP ANTHRAX 5 



The supporters of the former theory made the mistake of 

 supposing that all forms of life were destroyed by simple 

 boiling; but, on the other hand, the Abbe Spallanzani, as 

 early as 1777, showed that once boiling was not sufficient 

 to destroy all living germs, but that repeated and pro- 

 longed boiling, care being taken to keep out aerial germs, 

 will entirely prevent meat-broth, etc., from undergoing 

 putrefactive changes. In spite of this, however, the dis- 

 cussion was continued for many years, until Pasteur, 

 Tyndall, and others, demonstrated that all putrefaction is 

 due to the action of bacteria, and that meat-infusion, milk, 

 wine, and other putrescible bodies, will keep indefinitely, if 

 due care be taken to protect them from germs after proper 

 sterilisation. 



If the ' abiogenesis ' theory were correct, it would be use- 

 less to fight against harmful bacteria, as these would again 

 and again be generated afresh. Fortunately, however, the 

 truth is found in the contrary view, that bacteria only 

 appear where their germs are already present, and it is 

 sufficient to exclude these germs if their intrusion is to be 

 prevented. 



The great discovery was made by Davaine, in 1863, of 

 the bacillus of anthrax in the blood of animals suffering 

 from splenic fever. This year will be ever memorable in 

 the annals of medicine, on account of the fact that this is 

 the first notice of a specific organism in connection with 

 disease. This opened the way to the many brilliant dis- 

 coveries which from then have taken place almost year by 

 year, and have thrown so much light upon the cause and 

 prevention of disease. The mysterious veil which for many 

 centuries has hung over some of the most widespread and 

 terrible of the diseases which afflict the human race is being 

 gradually drawn aside. 



In 1873 Obermeier described the spiral organism which 



