SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
229 
former being white blood corpuscles and the latter fixed con¬ 
nective tissue cells. It is possible that the bacilli may be car¬ 
ried by the microphages to the capillaries of the' internal 
organs, where they find conditions favoring their entrance into 
the tissues. We know that the leucocytes are gifted with 
movement evidenced_ in the process of diapedesTs, and one 
theory of this process is, that the leucocytes penetrate between 
tie cells, or that they dissolve the cell cement, causing the en¬ 
dothelial cells to contract, allowing the corpuscles to pass 
through readily, and we could suppose that bacilli could be car- 
ned through m this way. In the exudata of inflammation we 
often find large numbers of red globules, which, like the tubercle 
bacillus, are not gifted with movement, but have escaped 
. lr °'f h ^ openings made by the leucocytes. Of course, this 
is only a theory, and is thrown out in the hope that it will re¬ 
sult in stimulating others to an expression of opinion. 
Dr. Stewart: The last speaker has shown a way by which 
the micro-organism may be transported from the blood stream 
into the cellular tissues, he leaves unexplained how the micro¬ 
organism gets from a mucous surface into the deeper tissues. 
The problem of the frequent development of tuberculosis in the 
structure of the spleen in swine is an interesting one. The 
essayist has said that the spleen is a source of regeneration of 
microphages and it would seem that if a microphage, a sick 
microphage, succeeded in conveying his burden to the spleen he ’ 
might get sufficient help to destroy it. I trust that the essay¬ 
ist m his concluding remarks will discuss that point 
Dr. Kelly: While I claim that the spleen has 'the double 
unction of recuperating disabled microphages as well as de¬ 
veloping new ones, it is probable that sick ones or those which 
are overcome by the bacilli are disintegrated, liberating the ba¬ 
cilli, and it is m this way they secure a lodgment in the spleen 
Dr. Forbes : Regarding the point of Dr. Stewart, as to how 
bacilli gam entrance to the tissues from an epithelial surface 
I would say, that the epithelial cells of a mucous surface, beiim 
able to act as phagocytes, could take up the organism, and in 
ie ght which ensues, the cell may be overcome and the mi- 
crobe get deeper into the tissues. 
, P’'- ( ~ oc ^ •' There might be one question arise as to how the 
bacillus enters the mucous membrane. Under certain condi¬ 
tions we may find mucous from the lungs of the human which 
contain bacilli, while they are not affected with the disease at 
ail. In order for the germs to enter there must be a lowering 
