632 
WILLIAM HERBERT LOWE. 
The relation of micro-organisms to suppurative inflamma¬ 
tions is one of great importance in its bearing upon the healing 
of wounds. While not all forms of micro-organisms are capable 
of exciting suppuration, nor are micro-organisms the only 
agents that are competent to excite suppuration, yet the proof 
is conclusive that the suppurative diseases that complicate 
wounds, and the acute suppurative inflammations that occur in 
animals, are caused by the vital activity of various forms of 
micro-organisms that find in the wounds the conditions that 
favor their development and increase. 
The result to be expected in routine manipulations *and 
operations depends very largely upon the practicability to carry 
out methods by means of which the access of micro-organisms 
to, or their development in wounds, can be prevented or dimin¬ 
ished, for where disturbances of repair are escaped the healing 
is sure, speedy and perfect. If septic infection could be alto¬ 
gether prevented there would scarcely be any bounds to the 
possibilities in the domain of veterinary surgery. No decom¬ 
position or fermentation takes place in organic matter without 
the agency of some form of micro-organism, and where no ex¬ 
traneous organism has gained access to a wound, no wound dis¬ 
turbance occurs. Certain forms of micro-organisms are always 
found associated with certain forms of wound disturbances. 
Clinical experience shows that where protection from the inva¬ 
sion of micro-organisms is secured there is an immunity from 
wound disturbances. 
The recognition of the activity of micro-organisms as the es¬ 
sential cause of disturbances of repair in wounds supplies a 
scientific basis for treatment and affords a definite principle by 
which to test methods of wound treatment. It is not the or¬ 
ganisms themselves that are the irritants that directly cause 
wound disturbance, but the products that are formed in the 
course of this growth and multiplication, either directly se¬ 
creted by themselves or formed by the decomposition of the 
substances on which they feed. These secondary products— 
ptomaines—are poisons or septic agents, and the results in gen- 
