EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Ill 
made public. One of the chief of these is “ that the fluid 
extracted from the diseased lung possesses no specific characters , and 
does not comport itself differently from other organic matters when 
introduced into the animal organism , and that when so employed 
it fails to prevent the development of exudative pleuro-pneumonia.” 
Long since we proved the same fact, and here lies indeed 
the whole gist of the question, and as a fait accompli it for 
ever puts a veto on Dr. Willem’s inoculations. The Doctor, 
however, seems to have had his mind so long imbued with a 
belief of the value and importance of his system, that he 
appears instinctively, if not intentionally, to shut his eyes to 
the most convincing and glaring proofs of its utter uselessness. 
Throughout these lengthened inquiries he has shown that he 
is not very easily to be beaten ; and therefore, having missed 
the high stake for which he played in his application to the 
government, he has sought a recognition of his services in 
other and inferior quarters, and to some extent he has been 
more successful, of which the following is a proof. 
“ The Central Society of Agriculture,” says the Annales de 
Mcdecine Veterinaire , c ‘ at its last general meeting, gave several 
rewards to different persons for the services they had rendered 
to agriculture, and among these rewards one was bestowed 
on Dr. W illems for his discovery of the cure for pleuro-pneumoniafl 
Well may the Annales exclaim, if it be that the Society has 
rewarded the Doctor for the activity he has always displayed 
in forcing inoculation upon the public, we can give our 
sanction to its proceedings; but we believe, nevertheless, 
that the Society should not exercise the power of judging of 
the value of the discovery, and certainly that it should not 
decide the question affirmatively. If it has done this, we 
cannot refrain from expressing our surprise, and we must 
require of the Society to show us whence it has drawn the 
elements of such a solution. The words,” it adds, “ which we 
have put in italics will give our readers a tolerably clear idea 
of the amount of trouble which the Society has taken in the 
matter, and enable them also to form a just estimate of the 
value of its opinion, when it is remembered that the Special 
