, were examined.
The blood, defibrinated and freshly drawn, has marked germicidal
action; for bacteria its action is decidedly deadly, even hours after
it has been drawn from the body. Especially were anti-germic qualities
noticed upon pathogenic bacteria. Buchner put the bacilli of anthrax
in a quantity of blood, and in two hours the number was reduced from
4,800 to 56, and in three hours only 3 living bacteria remained. Other
bacteria were experimented upon in blood with similar results, but the
destruction of the organism from putrefaction was much less marked,
and on some varieties the blood had little or no action.
It is not the object of these remarks to even give a _resume_ of the
_status praesens_ of bacteriology, but simply to stimulate thought in
that direction. The claims of some of the ultra-bacteriologists may
never be realized, but enough has been accomplished to revolutionize
the treatment of certain diseases, and the observing student will do
well to keep his eye on the microbe, as it seems from the latest
investigations that its star is in the ascendant. And who can
prognosticate but that in the next decade an entire revolution in the
aetiology and treatment of many diseases may take place?
Detroit, Mich.
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