PATHOLOGICAL PHYSIOLOGY. 
109 
has shown that the twelfth cultivation of the Bacillus anthracis 
no longer produces disease, though its morphological character¬ 
istics remain the same, there is a renewed tendency to doubt the 
connection of this organism with the contagium. It is not un¬ 
common to see such doubts expressed in very strong terms in 
medical and scientific periodicals, and, if I am not mistaken, a 
similar tendency has been shown even in the editorials of this 
Journal. Only a few days ago I heard a prominent medical man, 
in one of our large cities, offer a challenge to the believers in the 
germ theory, to discuss the reasons for their views in regard to 
any disease. It seems opportune, therefore, to present the evi¬ 
dences for the faith that is within us, so that all may see that we 
have a foundation clearly and firmly established. With this view 
I take lip the disease known as charbon (anthrax, malignant pus¬ 
tule), because it has been more thoroughly investigated than any 
other contagious disease. 
Since about the year 1850, the presence of rod-like bodies has 
been admitted to exist in the blood of the great majority of cases 
of charbon. By some they were regarded as crystals, but by others 
they are described as a form of bacterium, called by Davaine, 
Bacteridia , and by Cohn, Bacillus anthracis. Koch was the first 
to show that after the death of the animal, or when removed 
from the body before death, if surrounded by certain conditions 
of temperature, etc., these rods increased in length, and there 
were formed within them bright, refringent granules. These 
granules were afterwards liberated by the disintegration of the 
filaments, and then existed in an isolated condition. Finally the 
isolated granules, when placed in a fresh cultivation liquid—like 
the aqueous humor—sprouted and formed rods such as were 
originally present in the blood of the sick animal; the rods 
would again form filments, and then break down into granules 
as before. The granules were, consequently, resting spores, 
while the rods were the actively vegetating condition of the 
organism ; the former were comparatively dormant and might 
be likened to a grain of corn, which, as we well know, retains its 
vitality though exposed to great extremes of temperature, 
though withdrawn from the influence of the sun and air, and 
