.ETIOLOGY OF TUBERCULOSIS. 
169 
quickly with the already described symptoms and had always numerous tubercu¬ 
lous knots iu the lungs. 
In all the cases of these experiments, in which very small quantities of the 
reincultur were successfully brought into the anterior eye-chamber, the effect w r as 
exactly the same as after the inplantation of the natural tuberculous virus in the 
anterior eye-chamber. Single tuberculous knots appeared in the iris, which in¬ 
creased in number and led to caseous degeneration of the bulbus and finally to 
general tuberculosis. In so far, to be sure, a distinction existed in that the erup¬ 
tion of little knots occurred earlier than after the inoculation with tuberculous 
tissue. The probable ground of this appearance has already been discussed. A 
very noteworthy fact has been gained from the experiments, namely, the consider¬ 
able difference in the effect according as a small number of bacilli or a large 
quantity of the same get into the eye-chamber. In the first case we see a process 
slowly creeping on, in which the infectious material first spreads itself upon the 
iris, then reaches the lymph-glands, makes these caseous and not until then forcing 
itself into the course of the blood and so becoming sowed over other organs of the 
body. If, on the contrary, a large number of bacilli are in the beginning deposited 
in the anterior eye-chamber, then it has an appearance suggesting that the before- 
mentioned way is unnecessary. Especially it appears as if the lymph-glands, 
which usually offer an opposition to the progress of the bacilli and hold them 
fast for a longer or shorter time, were passed over altogether. The appearance of 
very numerous tuberculous knots in the lungs, spleen, etc., occurs as earlyin this 
mode of infection as after the injection of tuberculous bacilli immediately into a 
vein. Also the quantity of the little knots after the in jection into the anterior eye- 
chamber does not compare very unfavorably with the quantity of them after injec¬ 
tion into the course of the blood. Now whether the explanation of this is to be 
sought therein, that the bacilli of the anterior eye-chamber can really in any way 
come direct into the course of the blood in quantities, or whether their great num¬ 
ber, which suddenly overflows the lymph passages and glands lying before us, 
causes most of the bacilli to break through the hindrance, so that only a few re¬ 
main, that I must leave undecided. At all events this appearance is adapted to 
give enlightenment as to the apparently inexplicable irregular conduct of tuber¬ 
culosis with reference to the duration of its course and to the longer or shorter 
local confinement. 
Injection of Reinoulttteen into the Abdominal Cavity. 
The reinculturen, rubbed up with blood serum or distilled water, were filled 
into a disinfected syringe, the point of operation on the abdomen of the animal 
was disinfected with sublimate solution, and then the needle slowly driven through 
the covering of the abdomen so that the intestines remained unhurt, and then the 
liquid was squirted into the abdominal cavity. This of itself very simple opera¬ 
tion can easily be performed upon animals w T hose intestines are not constantly 
filled with firm, unyielding matter, and I have always succeeded with guinea pigs, 
rats, mice, cats, etc., without causing injury to the intestines or traumatic perito¬ 
nitis. Rabbits are less adapted for this experiment on account of the closely filled 
coecum. In order to obtain as quick an effect as possible, considerable masses 
of reincultur were always injected. The abdominal cavity, like the eye-chamber, 
