, 1896-03-07

Of Physiology, and in 1889 he found his true
place in life as an assistant to Pasteur.
His early studies were directed to the laws
of propagation in the lower fungi, alg@, and
especially in the paramoccia. He then took
up the infectious diseases to which such
microscopic organisms are themselves subject
from invasion by other microbes OF still
smaller she. He demonstrated that any
sudden change in the media, whether for
better or for worse, Autficed not only TO ar
rest the multiplication of infectious microbes,
but to kill them On the other hand u grad
ual acclimatizati0n of microbes to the most
deleterious media could be effected. DR..
Hafkine succeeded in obtaining forms which
produced typhoid and cholera by incubation
in the lower animals hitherto immune, and he
thus brought tbe etiolcgy Of thos4 diseases
within the domain of laboratory research.
At the same time he developed forms which
proved desh uctive Of the original miclobe.
The vaccints used by DR.. Haflkine for his
A. 45 human inoculatiOns in Bengal were
derived from the cholera micIobe discovered
bv DR.. Koch II wears ago. Certain of the
Calcutta psychologists had been unable to
accept DIR. Koch's conclusions. The study Of
the cholera epidemjcs in France, Italy,
Germany, Austria, Russia, and Spain, sub
sequent to DR.. K0ch's resea rches IN India,
brought conviction to the scientific mind OF
Europe. The comma bacillus migrated
simultaneously with, and in lines parallel to,
the movements of the disease acloss a CONT
nent 5000 miles from its Asiatic home. Yet
Calcutta Itself affords q field Of observation
scarcely less decisive, although III q different
way. DR.. Haffkine found the municipal
water supply, drawn through fIfer.heds from
the Hugh river. to be invariably tree from
cholera germs, whether the particu ar quarter
of thetown in which the hydrants were tap
ped was suffering from cholera or not. Nor
could those germs be detected i'll the air Of
stifing huts in which deaths from cholera
had taken place, nor on earthen floors from
which a corpse had just bten removed. But
a striking conneXion appeared between chole-
ra and the microbiaI flora Of the drinking
ponds. In over 81 FER cent. Of the drinking
ponds examined in localities infected with
cholera the comma bacilli were present.; in
over 81 per cent. of the ponds examined in
localities free irem cholera they were absent;
while in none of the drinking ponds in locali-
ties which had uttered from cholera six
weeks previously. but had got ril of it for
that period, was the comma bacillus found.
DR.. Haffkine speaks with gratitude Of the
RkuOIlSSb HlOWu l. lbt ~ 'HO NN'S" 81
vice in India. The fact Of the natives claim
ing the principle of preventive incubation as
their own discovery, long before it was
known in Europe, also served him IN good
stead. "rhe whole population" he said to
a friend, chad q definite idea of the pOssibili-
ty of preventing diseases by the Same
methods which for centuries had been in use
among themselves" DR.. Haffkine has &C
complished his beneicont work for the British
Army in India not only at his own cost, but
at the sacrifice Of his health. He is for the
moment q wreck from pelsistently neglected
fever. He proposes to start again for Ben
gal next March to complete his soif-appointed
task. But we sincerely hope that he will
defer his departure until he has thoroughly
recruited his health. India. or rather the
disregard of the timely warnings which India
gives in the form If fever, cost Europe one
Of her most brilliant sch GLARS in the first half
of the century. The fate of Csoma dc Koros
stands as a beacon against tempting Provi-
dence by like acts of heroic indifference.
puE FINANCIAL POSITION IN BRITISH