CHARB0N AND THE GERM THEORY OF DISEASE. 
141 
various which told against the germ theory, and entirely sup¬ 
pressed the remainder.* 
3. Greenfield’s experiments. —It seems to be established by 
Professor Greenfield that, by his method of cultivation, although 
the bacillus retains its vitality and morphological characteristics, 
it completely loses the power of producing disease after the twelfth 
generation. This fact we are willing to admit; but it seems ab¬ 
surd to bring it forward at this late day, as some are doing, to 
show that charbon is not due to this organism ; before Koch’s 
observations were made, it might have been accepted as having a 
bearing in that direction, and would undoubtedly have been a 
severe discouragement to the followers of the germ theory ; but 
now, when the connection of the bacillus with the disease is de¬ 
monstrated, it is useless to expect scientific people to barter au 
established fact for what is, at best, but a faint indication. 
Nageli has long held the view that the pathogenic bacteria are 
simply septic bacteria, which have been acclimated in some way 
and thus enabled to grow in the blood and tissues of living ani¬ 
mals.f This opinion was the result of studies of the septic forms, 
which he found could be changed gradually from organisms that 
produce one kind of fermentation of an entirely different kind, 
and they then almost lost the power to live under the conditions 
which were at first extremely favorable to them. Acting upon 
this theory, Dr. Buchner was able, by a series of very ingenious 
experiments, carried out in Kageli’s laboratory, to confirm Green 
field’s results and to transform the Bacillus anthracis into the 
harmless Bactilis subtilis or “ hay bacillus; he was also able to 
reverse this process, and change the Bacillus subtilis into the 
Bacillus anthracis with all its virulence.! 
4. Toussaint’s experiments. —In his first communication, this 
gentleman stated that fresh anthrax blood which had been heated 
to 55° (131° F.) might be inoculated on susceptible animals with- 
* J L. W. Thudichum. Annals of Chemical Medicine. London, 1879. 
pp. 231-2. 
t C. v. Niigeli. Die niederen Pilze in ibren Beziebungen zu den Iufec. 
tions-krankbeiteu und der Gesundbeitspflege. Miiucben, 1877. 
t Dr. Hans Bucbner. Ueber die experimentelle Erzeugung des Milz. 
braudcontagiums aus den Heupilzen. Miinchen, 1880. 
