128 The American Naturalist. (February, 
excretion of the live organism. Let this be as it may, I hoped to 
find a changed functional action in the organism, in secretion or 
its excretion, that would combat tuberculosis in animal life, either 
by stimulating the cells or by causing a chemical reaction in the 
tissues that were susceptible to the digestive secretion of the 
tubercle bacillus. 
An attempt to explain its probable action appears in an article 
I wrote for the Medical News of October 19th, 1889,and also in the 
Medical and Surgical Reporter and the Times and Register of this 
year. The views expressed are, however, purely hypothetical. 
When the mass that I have already spoken of as being found 
on the pabulum was subjected for a considerable length of time 
to various degrees of heat, and injected into the guinea-pig, the 
animal seemed to sicken, yet only for a short time. The anima 
so treated appear to resist injections of virulent bacilli, Whether — 
this would produce immunity for any length of time, provided we 
discontinue the administration of the remedy, I am not sure 
Some animals injected with the virulent matter after the treatment 
with the changed mass had been discontinued appear to be 1m- — 
mune, and experiments on animals suffering with tuberculosis - 
have resulted most satisfactorily. Goa: 
It is evident from this report that Dr. Dixon had pushed we 
ideas advanced on October 1gth, 1889, to a stage promising ef 
confirm in a remarkable degree the hypotheses laid down in : RS 
monograph, and that inoculation by the toxic agent had 
most satisfactory results. 
It cannot fail also to be remarked that there is a definiten 
Statement, as far as the circumstances will admit, in Dr. 
announcements which are lacking in those of his German 
league. 
to the profession was likely to defeat its own object. Ber 
fore published on January 15th, 1891, a statement disclosing 
nature of the remedy. l 
In this communication, after speaking of the ae 
curative effects of inoculating by living tubercle bacilli, z 
yielded 
ess of 
Dixons 
; : a 
It soon became evident to Professor Koch that the attempt ee 
withhold the composition of his remedy after it had been SURF” 
. may ; 
preventive and 
bso 
