NOTES AND MEMORANDA. 
109 
appropriate media, serves to purify the specific ferment from 
injurious interfering ferments of other species. 
M. Paul Bert (‘ Comptes Rendus Soc. Biologie,’ 1879, 
p. 355) has been led by some experiments on the blood of 
animals infected with Anthrax {Bacillus anthracis) to con- 
clude that such blood may contain two poisonous elements, the 
one similar in nature to that of cow-pox and glanders, non- 
organised, and precipitable by alcohol and of a highly viru- 
lent character ; the other consisting of the micro-parasites 
known as Bacillus anthracis. The first poison which can 
be obtained free from the second by subjecting Anthrax- 
blood to compressed oxygen for two days (which destroys 
the Bacillus) causes death when introduced into a guinea- 
pig in about twelve hours ; the second requires about thirty 
hours. These results are quite in accordance with the germ- 
theory of such diseases, and with what is known in general 
as to the properties of organised ferments. The Bacteria or 
organised ferments undoubtedly produce poisonous matter, 
such as the sepsin, now recognised for some years, and above 
noted by Dr. Koch. Such matter may act directly as a 
poison or the poisonous effects may be retarded until the 
Bacterium has multiplied and produced larger quantities of 
the toxic material. 
It is exceedingly probable that soluble ferments are pro- 
duced in a similar way by many Bacteria associated with 
fermentative changes such for instance as that of urine. 
The Bacteria which normally infest the human body must 
be exceedingly numerous and varied in form and properties. 
At present they have not been fully recognised. Mr. Butlin 
(' Proc. Royal Society,’ 1879) has made a beginning in de- 
scribing those which infest the mouth, and which are the 
chief constituents of the fur of the tongue. Mr. Butlin finds 
Sarcina, Bacterium, and Spirochaeta in the mouth, but chiefly 
micrococcus and Bacillus subtilis. 
We have yet to obtain from some careful worker with 
high power objectives an account of the forms of Bacteria 
present in the contents of the large intestine and other 
passages of the body. Further, the different protected 
surfaces of the skin offer an interesting field for study in 
relation to this subject. The axillae, pubes, and even the 
scalp, have their special saprogenous Bacteria, whilst the 
epidermis of the prepuce and of the plantar surface of the 
foot is occu])ied by Bacteria-ferments, specifically connected 
with the higher fatty acids. 
