392 COMMUNICABILITY OF ASIATIC CHOLERA 
Novati, at first negative, afterwards gave results of a more 
positive kind. Those of Borsani, Freschi, and especially 
the numerous trials of Semmola, were also followed by 
negative results. Meyer did not employ cholera-blood from 
the dead, but he made some counter-experiments, by the 
same method as Namias had used, with blood-clots from 
the heart of phthisical body, closing the wound in the rabbit’s 
skin by suture. Of two animals, one died in thirty-six hours, 
the other in three days. He also put healthy rabbit’s blood, 
twelve hours after it was drawn, under the skin of two rabbits; 
and blood from a pneumonia patient, sixteen hours after 
being drawn, in another. The wounds in the skin were 
closed with collodion as well as by suture, and the animals 
continued well. Hence, Meyer concludes correctly, that the 
fatal results of Namias’ experiments were probably due to the 
state of the blood employed, to the amount of injury inflicted 
on the animals, or to the access of air to the wounds. 
In August and September, 1849, we performed seven ex- 
periments with blood taken from the bodies of persons who 
had died in the collapse stage of cholera. The blood, diluted 
with about equal parts of distilled water, so as to permit the 
fibrin to be removed, was injected into the external jugular 
vein of the animals employed, from which a small quantity of 
blood was always first allowed to flow. The time after death 
at which the blood was taken, is stated in hours. The injec- 
tion was always made within half an hour afterwards. 
Experiments 1 and 2. — Blood 15^ hours: 2 drachms into 
a kitten ; 1 £ drachm into a rabbit. Both animals were seized 
with exhaustion and prostration, which lasted six hours. 
They refused food for thirty-six hours, and both were slightly 
purged on the next day. On the third morning they ap- 
peared well. 
Exp. 3 and 4. — Blood 12J hours: 2 drachms into a large 
rabbit ; 4 drachms into a dog. The rabbit became depressed, 
and took no food until the third day, when it seemed as 
usual ; no purging was detected. The dog was languid for 
a few hours, was purged of a yellowish slime, but ate a little 
meat in the evening, and was well the next day. 
Exp. 5. — Blood 5 hours : 10 drachms to a dog, which, as 
in the last experiment, became languid, and refused to eat 
until the following day, when he began to feed, but looked ill. 
Faeces as firm as usual. — n.b. A kitten on which 6 drachms 
of the same blood was employed, died instantly, from over- 
distension of the heart, as no air was found in the veins. 
Exp. 6. — Blood | hour : 6 drachms into a dog. This 
animal suffered likewise from depression, laid himself down, 
