TETANUS. 
485 
If so, God grant that I might some day be the happy pos¬ 
sessor of a microscope, which will not only enormously magnify, 
but make walk in single file, these germs as soldiers, that I 
might see them. 
Unless I cannot gratuiously endorse their views, whereas we 
are willing to sacrifice our own lives. Knowing what we do, 
thereby taking anything but precautions as to isolating or anti¬ 
septics, and regard abrasions of said individual in attendance 
with impunity, as he careth nothing for fear of transmissions or 
the existence of these germs, and can treat accordingly upon 
these basis. 
It is compulsory for us to admit that an autopsy of the suc¬ 
cumbed has revealed spiral club-shape germs which are very 
scattering indeed, existing as they do now, whether or not these 
germs are found prior to death, or whether it requires the death 
of the patient to produce them, is the question which has often 
agitated my mind. Were it that they were present within the 
system before death is yet to be determined, whereas if we could 
extract the blood of an affected animal, and transmit by innocu- 
lation, certainly this disease could readily be conveyed. How¬ 
ever, this theory of contagion under such conditions cannot be 
proven, either by statistics or experimental tests ; and again, 
we have many other diseases which are closely allied sympto¬ 
matically, such as hysteria, uremic poison, and especially an 
overdose of strychnine ; in this instant, with a snap diagnosis, 
could you definitely distinguish, render and impart an opinion 
satisfactory to your own mind, without an inquiry of investiga¬ 
tion or the presence of said micro-organism. 
However, my insinuations must not be misconstrued, as I 
allude principally to tetanus idiopathic, and positively contend that 
it is detrimental to our medical profession. Not only do I pride 
in the liberty.to denounce, but it is with pleasure that I so con¬ 
scientiously condemn the absurdity, and deem it a faulty and 
incorrect term, which should not be tolerated, but discarded 
from our veterinary science. 
Before you are my sentiments, predjudiced as they are, in 
