TRANSLATION. 
221 
enee of a vacuum or of carbonic acid, is not only entirely unfit 
to live—that we know—but even to transform itself in corpus- 
cles-germs. This last research is, however, one of the most deli¬ 
cate. So little of the air as may remain in the tubes where the 
vacuum is made, and where the cultivation of the carbunculous 
bacteridie is carried on, corpuscles germs will appear to such an 
extent, that the most perfect mercurial pumps* are often useless 
to prevent the phenomena. We have been obliged to combine 
with the use of the vacuum of these pumps that of the 
liquids employed to absorb the most minute traces of oxygen, 
before we could convince ourselves that the carbuncular bacteridie 
is essentially aerobic at all periods of its life. What difference, 
then, between the septic vibrio and that of bacteridie, and how 
remarkable it is to see it multiply in the animal organism of 
beings so different by their mode of nutrition ! 
Another question, no less interesting, is that of knowing if 
the corpuscles-germs of the septic vibrio, though formed in the 
vacuum or in the pure carbonic gas, would not need, to return to 
life, some feeble quantities of oxygen. Physiology to-day knows 
of no possible germination out of the contact of the air. Well, 
nevertheless, the experiment proves that the germs of the septic 
vibrio are absolutely sterile in the contact of oxygen, whatever 
may the proportion of this gas be; but it is on the condition, 
however, that there is no connection between the volume of the 
air and the number of the germs; as the first germinations, 
taking off the air in solution, may become a protection for the 
remaining germs ; and it is so that, vigorously speaking, the sep¬ 
tic vibrio may propagate itself, even in presence of small quanti¬ 
ties of air, though this propagation is impossible if air is plenty. 
A curious therapeutic observation presents itself. Let us sup¬ 
pose a wound exposed to the contact of the air, and in the condi¬ 
tions of putrid state likely to bring in the patient simple septicae- 
mii accidents, I mean to say without other complication than those 
which would result from the development of the septic vibrio. 
Well, theoretically at least, the best means to prevent death 
would be to wash continually the wound with water aerated , or to 
* Porupes & mercure. 
