196 A Pathogenic Schizophyie of the Hog. [March, 



lar microscopic bodies were found, not only in the blood and 

 morbid products in contagious diseases, but also in a great many 

 other things, particularly in putrefying, decomposing, and fer- 

 menting substances, in pus, secretions of wounds, in the mucus 

 of the mouth, etc. All this, however, is well known, and as I do 

 not intend to give a history of the discoveries in regard to these 

 minute bodies, comprehended under the generic name of Schizo- 

 phytes, nor dwell upon the investigations made by many European 

 and some American scientists for the purpose of ascertaining the 

 true character and the relation of those Schizophytes to conta- 

 gious and so-called zymotic diseases, I will only make one further 

 remark, and then briefly relate what I have seen and ascertained 

 myself. I mentioned the discovery of Brauell and Pollender as 

 a fit introduction to what I shall have to say, and also for the 

 purpose of correcting certain erroneous statements in American 

 literature, which ascribe the first discovery of Bacillus anthraas 

 to Davaine, and to other French investigators. For a long time 

 it remained a puzzling question how certain Schizophytes, found 

 in certain diseases in the blood, exudations, and other animal 

 fluids, etc., can constitute the cause' and infectious principle of 

 those diseases, while other Schizophytes, apparently identical, or 

 at least very similar in appearance, and of almost universal occur- 

 rence, are known to be perfectly harmless. To illustrate, it will 

 only be necessary to mention the great similarity between Bacillus 

 anthracis and Bacillus s ■ 7.,'V, two of the best known Schizo- 

 phytes. This question has been solved by the researches of Dr. 

 Hans Buchner in Munich (cf. his monography " Ueber de Experi- 

 mented Erzeugung des Milzbrand Contagiums aus den 

 Heupilzen, und ueber die Entstehung des Milzbrandes durch 

 Einathmung, Muenchen, 1880"). Dr. Buchner, by repeated 

 and continued cultivations in solutions of meat extract, with 

 and without an addition of peptone and sugar, succeeded 

 in converting Bacillus anthracis into Bacillus subtilis ; 36 

 generations made the former harmless, and about 1 500 gen- 

 erations converted the same into a veritable hay-bacillus or 

 Bacillus subtilis. Vice versa, by continued and repeated cultiva- 

 tions in fresh blood Dr. Buchner also succeeded in changing a 

 harmless Bacillus subtilis into an exceedingly malignant Bacillus 

 anthracis, which, introduced into the organism of a healthy ani- 

 mal by inoculation, in every instance caused sure and speedy 



