382 EASTERN COUNTIES VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
cause has been removed? No. And why not? It is because 
germs of the identical species or type are being self-propagated 
in each individual affected, and thus each individual is a centre of 
infection and a fresh source of poison germs. It is invariably 
found that these infected persons give off these poison germs 
that produce the identical disease, and no other disease, whether 
it be smallpox, typhus, cholera, cattle plague, glanders, or farcy. 
We will now glance at the part germs play upon wounds, and 
the method advised to be adopted. 
Wounds. —You have no doubt seen wounds in the feet of horses 
when at grass assume an unhealthy character, and in which 
you have perceived numerous live animalcules called maggots. 
These are visible to the naked eye, but if the secretion from the 
surface of any wound, more especially if that secretion has been 
allowed to accumulate for a certain time, be placed under a 
strong microscope, it will be found to contain numbers of minute 
organisms that the naked eye could not discern, these are called 
Bacteria. This process is brought about by what in surgical 
language is called the septic element or, in other words, the 
germs in the air acting on the decaying animal matter, this 
matter at times gets absorbed into the system called septicaemia 
or blood poisoning, this creates fevers and a train of symptoms 
resembling ferments, its contractive agent is called antiseptics. 
The manner an antiseptic acts is by depriving the septic germ 
of its energy, if not also of its life itself; these septic germs are 
ever present in the atmosphere around us, they are not neces¬ 
sarily contagious germs. Joints and cavities may be opened, 
and frightful wounds explored with comparative impunity if only 
the air and the parts and all the surroundings are carefully 
deprived of these septic germs; no inflammation, no evil result 
will follow, no tendency to decomposition; the application of the 
antiseptic must be minute and complete in every detail, the 
wound, the instruments, sutures, bandages, the surgeon’s hands 
must be entirely and constantly enveloped the whole time in the 
carbolic vapour or spray. We see that science has discovered 
agents which can deprive these dust germs and organisms of 
their energy and action. Amongst these applications is carbolic 
acid, carbolic acid spray. Thymol one part, in one thousand of 
water. Mr. W. Thompson read a paper at the last meeting of 
the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society on “ The 
Construction of a Boom, or a series of Booms free from Germ 
Life, proposed for use in the performance of Surgical Opera¬ 
tions.” He said his object in bringing his paper before the 
Society was to show what he considered to be a valuable applica¬ 
tion of a well-known principle, viz. that of filtering from the 
ordinary air the innumerable spores and germs which are con¬ 
stantly found floating about it, and to arrange a room or a series 
of rooms in which the air may be rendered optically pure. The 
practicability of producing and afterwards retaining in a room 
or rooms of ordinary dimensions of an optically pure atmosphere 
