GENERAL PATHOLOGY. 
161 
the formation of spores. Thus presented, the question, we will acknowledge, 
is susceptible of solution. 
Indeed by several means the apparition of the spores can be prevented in the 
artificial cultivations of the parasite of anthrax. To the lowest temperature to 
which this parasite is cultivated, viz., -|- 16° the bacteridie takes no germ, at least 
for some time. The forms of the small microb at this low limit of its develop¬ 
ment are irregular, in balls, pear shaped, in one word monstrous, but without 
spores. It is the same with the highest temperatures still compatible with the 
cultivation of the parasite, temperatures which may vary with the media. In 
the neutral bouillon of chicken, the bacteridie does not grow after 45°, on the con¬ 
trary, it is possible and abundant at 42° and 43° but also without possible forma¬ 
tion of the spores. Consequently, one may keep to the contact of pure air be¬ 
tween 42° and 43° a mycelian cultivation of bacterids entirely deprived of germs. 
Then appear the very remarkable following results: after waiting about a month 
the cultivation is dead, that is to say, when placed in a fresh bouillon it re¬ 
mains sterile. One or two days before the impossibility of development is mani 
fested, and all the preceding days, in the interval of a month, the reproduction 
of the cultivation is on the contrary, easy. So much for the life and the nutrition 
of the organism. For what concerns its virulency, the extraordinary fact is 
noticed that the bacteridie has already lost it after eight days of staying at 42° and 
43° and subsequently; at least its cultivations are harmless for the cobayes. the 
rabbit and the sheep, three animal species most subject to contract the disease. 
We are then in possession, not only of the attenuation of the virulency, but of its 
suppression apparently complete by a simple artifice of cultivation. And besides 
we have the possibility of preserving and cultivating in this harmless condition the 
terrible microbe. What takes place in those eight first days at 43° which are suf¬ 
ficient to deprive the bacteridie of all its power ? Let us remember that the microbe 
of chicken cholera itself also dies in its cultivations by the contact of air, in a 
much shorter time it is true, but that in the time between it undergoes successive 
attenuations. Are we not authorized to infer that it must be the same for the 
microbe of anthrax ? This assertion is confirmed by experiment. Before the ex¬ 
tinction of its virulency, the microbe of anthrax passes by various degrees of 
attenuation, and again, as that takes place for the microbe of chicken cholera, each 
of these conditions of weakened virulency may be reproduced by cultivation. 
Finally, as from one of our recent communications, anthrax does not recidivate, 
each of our reduced carbuncular microbes constitute for the superior microbe a 
vaccine, a virus able to give a more benignant disease. What, then, is easier than to 
find in those successive viruses vaccine able to give carbunculous fever to sheep 
cows, horses, without killing them and able to protect them afterwards against 
the fatal disease? We have performed this operation with great success on sheep? 
and will attempt its application as soon as possible. 
Already M. Toussaint has said that sheep can be protected by preventive in¬ 
oculation ; but when this expert observer shall have published his results, about 
which we have made close (still unpublished) studies, we will show all the differ¬ 
ences which exist between the two methods—the uncertainty of one, the surety o: 
the other. The one that we speak of has, besides, the very great advantage o! 
resting upon the existence of virus vaccine, cultivable at will, that can be mill- 
