ETIOLOGICAL MOMENT IN AMERICAN SWINE PLAGUE. 61 
Detmers considered it, in this paper, to be a “ micrococcus ” 
and mistook this, the vegetative, for the mature form, and the 
mature form for vegetative. 
Here he says: 
“ The swine plague schizopliytse present themselves in three, 
and probably four, and even five different forms. As to three 
different forms I am certain, but as to the fourth and possibly 
the fifth I am not positive.” 
[Then comes the first error in interpretation which led to all 
subsequent ones; they are errors of interpretation rather than 
observation]. 
JDetmers continues: 
0 
“ The form to begin with is that of a very minute spherical 
body—a micrococcus. It is invariably present in the blood and 
blood serum in all morbid products and exudations, and in such 
morbid tissues as can be conveniently examined with high power 
objectives, when fresh. It probably is not necessary to state that 
the micrococci of swine plague, being spherical, do present any 
characteristic difference from other micrococci, if the latter happen 
to be about the same size as the former.” 
“Still, differences can be observed if the micrococci are kept 
under the microscope for some time (a few hours), at a suitable 
temperature. The swine plague micrococci soon form zooglea 
masses, or aggregate in clusters, and become imbedded in a com¬ 
paratively viscous substance. While thus imbedded they soon 
commence to duplicate by growing in two opposite directions, aud 
at the same time become contracted in the middle. This con¬ 
traction gradually becomes plainer and plainer, and increases in 
the same degree in which the micrococcus is growing in length, 
till finally the latter presents the appearance of two closely con¬ 
nected spherical bodies without any visible partition and some¬ 
what resembling the shape of a figure 8.” 
“ At this stage the now bispherical micrococcus is about twice 
as long as its transverse diameter ! ! ! ” 
“ In the interior of each spherical body a somewhat darker 
substance, or a kind of nucleus can be observed ! ! ! ” 
“ This duplication, or process of division, which occurs in a 
