28,2 ANALYSiS OF CONTINENTAL JOURNALS. 
To sum up, M. Chauveau has arrived at results, relative 
to the study of the viruses, which are great acquisitions to 
science. These matters cease to be inappreciable mysterious 
agents; he has fixed a certain number, and distinguished 
them in the solid corpuscles. Is it necessary to say that 
now these results may be generalised and applied to all the 
infectious or contagious maladies ? The Commission does 
not find itself in a position to emit such an opinion ; even 
M. Chauveau himself, after all his labours, does not arrive at 
such a conclusion. In the experimental method one must 
never go beyond facts, and general conclusions can only be 
arrived at after a rigorous study of each particular case. 'As 
there are ferments of various kinds, some soluble, others in¬ 
soluble, so there may exist different sorts of virus. How¬ 
ever this may be, the Commission has recognised that M. 
Chauveau, in submitting the study of viruses to the experi¬ 
mental method, is engaged in a useful and fruitful pursuit. 
He has already received rewards and encouragement from 
the Academy, and the Commission has been desirous of 
giving him another testimony of their appreciation of his 
efforts by recommending that the interest of the Breant prize 
for 1870 be awarded to him. 
The hearty felicitations of the members of the veterinary 
profession will, we feel sure, be accorded to their distin¬ 
guished colleague of the Lyons Veterinary School, on re¬ 
ceiving this flattering and substantial mark of recognition 
from the Academy of Sciences for his ingenious and remark¬ 
ably valuable and interesting researches, which cannot fail to 
produce excellent results in human and veterinary medicine. 
We purpose, at an early opportunity, to resume our trans¬ 
lation of his report, which was commenced a few months 
ago in the Veterinarian. 
THE ORGANISMS OF VACCINAL LYMPH. 
In connection with the subject just alluded to, we find that 
Cohn has also been devoting some attention to the composi¬ 
tion of vaccine matter. He remarks that 'several observers, 
and especially Keber, Hallier, and Chauveau, have noticed 
the presence in vaccinal and variolic lymph of minute granules 
which, according to their opinion, are the vehicles of the 
contagium. Nevertheless, the researches in this particular 
have not as yet led to a definite result, so far as the origin and 
signification of these elements are concerned. Cohn has, in 
the first place, confirmed the presence of the organisms in 
