208 



SCIENCE. 



3. If the morbid process, the morbid changes effected, 

 particularly the exudations and extravasations of blood 

 on the lungs and in the skin, and the qualitatively un- 

 changed condition of the blood — that is excepting such 

 changes in its composition as are evidently the product, 

 or necessary consequence, of the morbid changes — are 

 taken into consideration, it becomes obvious that some- 

 thing which causes obstructions in the capillary system 

 — embolism — must constitute the cause, and nothing 

 whatever, able to accomplish that result, can be found, 

 except the colonies or clusters of Schizophytes, the Zoog- 

 lcea-masses, imbedded in a viscous substance, while on 

 the other hand, these Zooglcea-masses are never absent 

 in a case of Swine-plague. 



If I am allowed to digress a little, it may be here men- 

 tioned that I am well aware of the fact that German and 

 French investigators claim lor certain, and it may be, for 

 all, kinds of pathogenic Schizophytes chemical actions or 

 fermenting properties, and undoubtedly many of them, 

 especially among those belonging to the genus Bacillus 

 — I mention B. anthracis — and probably some others, do 

 possess and exercise such properiies, and cause fermenta- 

 tion. As to the Swine-plague Schizophytes, I have not 

 been able to observe any fermenting effect or chemical 

 action, except such as necessarily results from depriving 

 the animal organism of certain elements and material, 

 appropriated by the Schizophytes, and necessary to their 

 subsistence and propagation. All other morbid changes 

 appear to be the consequence of the obstruction of the 

 capillary system by the Zooglcea-masses, and therefore, 

 are the product of a mechanical, and not of a chemical 

 agency. 



4. The adversaries of the so-called " Germ-theory " of 

 diseases, well knowing that a perfect separation of the 

 Schizophytes (Micrococci, Bacteria, or Bacilii.as the case 

 may be) from their vehicles, the animal tissues and fluids, 

 is impossible, demand absolute proof. If conclusions 

 may be drawn from analogy' between diseases of animals 

 and plants, Prof. T. J. Burrill,* of the Illinois Industrial 

 University, more favored by the nature of the objects of 

 his investigation (apple-trees, pear-trees and peach-trees) 

 has furnished evidence, amounting to almost absolute 

 proof, that the so-called blight of apple-trees and pear- 

 trees, and the so-called "yellows" of peaches are caused 

 by Schizophytes similar in size, but otherwise not identi- 

 cal to those which I consider as constituting the cause 

 and infectious principle of Swine-plague, as will be seen 

 by consulting the transactions of the meeting of the 

 American Association for the Advancement of Science 

 in Boston, 1880. 



If the infectious principle were a chemical poison or 

 virus, its action, one should suppose, would under all cir- 

 cumstances be exactly the same, and the malignancy of 

 the morbid process, and the time required for its devel- 

 opment— the so-called period of incubation, or, more cor- 

 rectly, stage of colonization — would not be subject to 

 changes dependent upon the season of the year, upon the 

 individuality and temperature of the animal, and upon 

 other yet unknown external influences, as is undoubtedly 

 the case. An organic poiscn or virus, one should sup- 

 pose, would act somewhat like the virus of a poisonous 

 snake. In the same localities, in the same places, or the 

 same yards and pens, and among the same breeds of 

 hogs, in which the disease was exceedingly malignant in 

 1878 ; it was, as a rule, much milder in 1879, and still 

 milder in 1880. As such are unmistakable facts, re- 

 peatedly and everywhere observed, it must be concluded 

 that nothing but what is able to undergo changes is sub- 

 ject to growth and development, and acquires vigor and 

 propagates rapidly under favorable, but is weakened and 

 multiplies slowly under unfavorable circumstances — in 

 other words, nothing but what is corporeal and endowed 

 with life — can constitute the cause. 



* " Sciench," Vol. I., pp. 162, igi. 



6. If the cause and infectious principle of Swine-plague 

 were a chemical poison or virus, one should suppose a 

 cessation of ihe morbid process would be impossible, and 

 an animal would never recover, while its organism con- 

 tains an abundance of the infectious principle in an effec- 

 tive condition, as is undoubtedly the case, because con- 

 valescents, and animals nearly recovered, frequently com- 

 municate the disease, even in a fatal form, to other, healthy 

 pigs. Further, the fact that an animal, once recovered, 

 possesses but little predisposition for future infection, or 

 is seldom attacked a second time, even if ever so much ex- 

 posed, and then only contracts the disease in a compara- 

 tively mild form, could never be explained ; but the whole 

 presents an entirely different aspect, and admits explana- 

 tion, if low and minute forms of organic life, such as the 

 Schizophytes of Swine-plague, which, by developing and 

 multiplying, finally destroy or exhaust in an animal organ- 

 ism the conditions necessaiy to future development and 

 propagation, constitute the cause and the infectious prin- 

 ciple, (cf. an article entitled : " The Destruction of 

 Germs," in " Popular Science Monthly," communicated in 

 extract in R. Hitchcock's Microscopical Journal, Nov., 

 I880.) 



7. If some part or organ of a pig infected with Swine- 

 plague happens to be in a state of congestion, such a part 

 invariably attracts the infectious principle, and becomes 

 a prominent, if not the principal, seat of the morbid pro- 

 cess ; a fact difficult of explanation, unless the infectious 

 principal is something solid or corporeal. 



8. The adversaries of the so-called " Germ Theory," 

 as they are pleased to call it, demand absolute proof of 

 those who claim that certain infectious diseases owe their 

 origin, or existence and spreading, to very minute forms of 

 organic life. They cannot deny that these forms exist, 

 can be found, and have been shown, but forget to show 

 their virus, poison, fluidum, or chemical something. Does 

 the latter exist only in their imagination ? If the adver- 

 saries of the so-called " Germ Theory " demand absolute 

 proof on our side of the question, let them set a good 

 example and furnish it on their side, or only produce their 

 virus, fluidum, or whatever it may be, and we will grace- 

 fully acknowledge that we are mistaken, and have labored 

 in vain. 



9. With the very best objectives ever made, and a fair 

 ability to handle the microscope, I have never been able 

 to find anything identical to the Swine-plague Schizophytes 

 in the blood and tissues of other healthy animals. When 

 I commenced my investigation, the best objective at my 

 disposal was a very fair 1-9 four system immersion lens 

 of Hartnack & Prazmowski, but I soon found it to be 

 insufficient, and procured a 1-16 immersion of the same 

 makers. This, too, after a while, did not give satisfac- 

 tion, and I received a 1-12 (nominally 1-10) glycerine 

 immersion of R. B. Tolles, which that renowned maker 

 afterwards exchanged for a duplex 1-10 homogeneous 

 immersion. This latter objective proved to be a very su- 

 perior lens, and gave me glimpses of things of which I 

 desired to see a little more — it showed flagella on Bacil- 

 lus subfiles, which I had never seen with any of the other 

 objectives — and so I thought with a higher power, and a 

 still more perfectly corrected lens, if a more perfect cor- 

 rection could be made, I might be able to see more plainly 

 the distinguishing forms and characteristics of the Swine- 

 plague Schizophytes, and also learn a little more about 

 their mode and manner of propagation. I therefore 

 asked Mr. Tolles to make me a higher power objective 

 especially adapted to my work, and he has furnished me a 

 duplex 1-15 homogeneous immersion objective (in reality 

 a little more than a 1-16), which is, beyond comparison, 

 the best objective I have ever seen. It is even superior, 

 in definition and flatness of field, to a magnificent 1-18 

 homogeneous immersion objective (in reality a 1-20) of 

 Carl Zeiss, made to order a month or two ago. 



As to a proper generic place and name of these Swine- 

 plague Schizophytes, I am at a loss. The best authorities — 



