460 



Mr. (Jr. F. Dowdeswell. 



[Jan. 18, 



scarcely appreciable, inflammation ; in some other cases the spot was 

 not perceptible even on microscopical examination of the tissnes. 

 The occurrence of the microphytes, in the situation only here stated, 

 in conjunction with the circumstance that the substance injected 

 was a chemical irritant, germ-free, is important in respect to the 

 question of their origin. 



These Bacilli are in width about TO to 13 fi (0-001 to 0-0013 

 millim.) : in length, the single cells vary up to about 4 or 5 /t (0*004 

 to 0*005 millim.) ; filaments consisting of some few of these, united 

 end to end, and in less active movement than the individual rods, 

 also occurred in the fluid as examined fresh under the microscope, 

 but in dried and stained preparations these are not nearly so 

 numerous. In dimensions these Bacilli are somewhat similar to the 

 B. anthracis, but it is impossible for any careful observer to confound 

 the two ; for independently of the species here described being active, 

 while the B. anthracis is invariably immobile, and though in the 

 serous fluids the former develope into filaments of variable length, 

 yet the segments of these show the original mature cells of about the 

 dimensions here given, into which they again break up, preserving 

 their rounded ends, and are distinctly unlike the segments which the 

 filaments of B. anthracis* form, as it is possible to be, for the latter 

 are rectangular, pretty uniform in length, of little more than about 

 twice the width ; in cases of Anthrax, whether in the animal organism, 

 or in artificial cultivation this formation may invariably be recognised 

 where the cells are sufficiently developed to form filaments. In the 

 present case blood from the heart contained no organisms, but in the 

 spleen and peripheral portion of the kidney were found several Bacilli, 

 though not in the other organs. In this case it is to be noted that 

 death had occurred some, probably several, hours before examination, 

 and decomposition was advancing with the rapidity that characterises 

 all these cases. In other experiments where the infected animals 

 were examined immediately after death, in no instance were any 

 microphytes found either in the blood or organs, but only in the serous 

 fluids and in the connective tissue as before stated. f 



Of the exudation fluid in this case 0'05 cub. centim., diluted with 

 equal parts of salt solution, was injected into guinea-pig No. 2, and 

 0-022 cub. centim. similarly into another, No. 3. Both these animals 



* The terminal cells, however, of this form too, it must be remarked, retain their 

 rounded ends, "the growing-point," though but few of these may be found in 

 mature development. 



f Some writers, however, in experiments upon Pasteur's septichsemia have re- 

 ferred to organisms found in the blood of infected cases. What the import of this 

 is I cannot say, in the absence of a clearer diagnosis of this disease ; whether some 

 other form of specific septichsemia or septic infection had been obtained, or, in the 

 absence of any precise statements on the subject, whether examination had been 

 deferred until some hours after death, and septic bacteria had developed. 



