220 
A. LIAUTARD. 
aerobic vibrio, of which I have just spoke, to institute numerous 
experiments upon the limits of resistance of microscopic beings 
to various temperatures, and having found that the carbunculous 
bacteridie does not develop itself, or with much difficulty, at tem¬ 
peratures of 43-44 degrees in some liquids of cultivation, we 
thought that such was perhaps the explanations of a well-known 
fact, though quite mysterious, viz: that some animals remain re¬ 
fractory to anthrax disease. It had not been possible, in our 
experiments of last year, to give anthrax to our fowls. Might 
not the temperature of about 42° of these gallinaceous, combined 
to the vital power, be the cause of immunity in these animals ? 
If this supposition was correct, we ought to develop anthrax 
easily in fowls in lowering the heat of their bodies. The success 
of this experiment was immediate. Inoculate a hen with the 
carbunculous bacteridie, and place it with its legs in a cold bath 
at 25°, which is sufficient to lower the heat of the whole body 
down to 37-38°—heat of animals susceptible to contract an¬ 
thrax—and in 24 or 30 hours the hen will die, its whole body 
being filled with carbunculous bacteridies. Some opposite expe¬ 
riments have given us favorable results, that is to say that in 
raising the heat of animals which are liable to contract an¬ 
thrax, we have protected them against this frightful disease 
to-day yet without remedy. Increase or limitate the power 
of these infinitely small, and disturb the mystery of their actions 
merely by a simple change of temperature, is one of the best 
facts to demonstrate what may be expected from the efforts of 
science, even in the study of the most obscure diseases. 
Let us return again to our septic vibrio, and compare it, as 
far as the formation of its germs, to the carbunculous bacteridie, 
so as to impress our minds better with that conviction that mi¬ 
croscopic organisms enjoy varied physiological properties, and that 
we may expect from them many various morbid manifestations. 
Positive experiments have taught us that the septic vibrio can 
not only live and multiply in the most complete vacuum, or in 
the purest carbonic acid, but that it gives there its germs and 
that free oxygen gas is not necessary to interfere in their forma¬ 
tion. On the contrary, the carbunculous bacteridie, in the pres- 
