A STUDY OF THE MICROBES OF PUS. 
715 
ancient writers like Verro and Columella expressed the 
opinion that living- organisms entered the animal economy 
and caused disease, yet bacteria were not knowingly discov¬ 
ered until 1675, when Leuwenhoek observed what he termed 
minute globules in putrid water and later in tartar from 
teeth. But little progress was made lor the next one hundred 
and fifty years. During the rage of cholera in Europe some 
investigators declared that this disease was caused by oro-an- 
isms which proved to be Oidium lactis, which was found grow¬ 
ing on the excreta of patients suffering from cholera. Other 
equally absurd statements were made. A microbe craze 
naturally followed these discoveries, and over-zealous work- 
eis soon brought disrepute on the whole subject. Henle, 
the celebrated anatomist and physiologist of the Gottenp-en 
University, brought strong arguments in favor of the germ 
theory, but they were received with little credit. Cagnard- 
Latoui and Schwann showed the organic nature of yeast. 
They pioved that yeast fermentation was due to the growth 
of living organisms. Liebig was one of the most powerful 
opponents of this theory; he held that fermentation was 
due to chemical changes. Schwann and others also showed 
that putiefaction of meat did not occur in the absence of bac- 
teiia, and that all vital activity ceased when yeast was absent 
from fermentable substances. Pollender and Brauell noticed 
■very chaiacteristic rods in blood taken from animals affected 
with anthrax ; later these rods were shown to be living or¬ 
ganisms that spread the disease. Pasteur has materially 
strengthened the germ theory of disease. Koch has immor¬ 
talized his name by his investigations of various diseases, par¬ 
ticularly anthrax, cholera and tuberculosis. His work has 
been especially valuable in using solid media, as agar-agar, 
gelatin and blood serum, in which the various germs may be 
cultivated. J 
From the standpoint of pus and organic life, much must, 
however, be accredited to Lister, who obtained excellent re¬ 
sults in antiseptic treatment of wounds. This made it seem 
more than probable that suppuration was due to an organism, 
and that the most scientific way to treat suppurating wounds 
