PLEUROPNEUMONIA ERYSIPELATODER. 
421 
measure dependent upon the nature of the lymph which is used, 
as also upon the point selected for inoculation, and the following 
'treatment. 
We cannot form any judgment over the quality of the lymph 
without an accurate knowledge of the abduction’s results, as well 
as the intra-vital condition of the organism from which the same 
has been obtained ; further, it is necessary to know that some has 
been obtained and preserved with all the circumspection necessary 
to its purity, as it is self-evident that the fluid in question, in 
which the infectious elements are embodied, may, by failure in such 
circumspection, become, by decomposition or inclosure of noxious 
elements, the cause of most serious and unexpected complications, 
or the activity of the infective elements become lost. There is 
no doubt that in the above-mentioned facts is to be sought the 
true course of most of the negative results, and serious com 
tions which have been charged to inoculation. 
It is absolutely necessary that the elements to inoculation be 
obtained from an organism otherwise healthy, i. e. upon which no 
other complications than those of pleuro-pneumonia are present, 
and the same must also be in the pure mild form , so that in the 
lung in question neither purulent masses, ichor, or other deleter¬ 
ious elements can find admittance with the lymph. All expe¬ 
rienced inoculators are well acquainted with, and frequently 
complain of the difficulties they meet with in their endeavors to 
obtain pure lymph, and they also know that only those who give 
every attention to the above peremptory requisites receive favor¬ 
able results from their inoculations. 
As at present we have no means of demonstrating, either 
chemically or microscopically, the presence of the infectious 
elements in a given lymph, so are we also unable to ascertain its 
degree of dispersion in the same. When hereto w r e take into 
account the individuality of each organism, the possibility of 
different external influences, as the pollution of inoculation’s 
wound with dirt, we find an explanation for the varying results 
which often follow inoculations upou different individuals by one 
and the same lymph. Alas, against these things we are in a great 
measure at present impotent. 
plica* 
