The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-03

tain number of bacteria are injected into
the cavity of the abdomen of an animal
| If the animal is healthy and the perito-
neum (the thin lining membrane of the
abdomen is healthy. the animal will re-
cover perfectly well; but IL the peri
toneun be scraped and torn (and 1t
must he remembered that the healthy
peritoneum is devoid of sensation). that
the same dose which before was harmless
will now produce violent peritonitis and
very likely death. The practical lesson
from this experiment upon animals Is very
evident. Every surgeon who opens the
abdomen Is most careful. If possible. not
to injure the peritoneum. but manipulates
with the greatest care lest fatal results
follow any serious injury to that MEM
| brane. So. too, if the general health be
impaired, 1t Is found that a dose from
| which healthy animal would recover will
| be followed by fatal consequences IL the
health is below par. Again, IL an animal
has a simple fracture of his thigh bone. and
that is the only injury that he receives, no
infection from the exterior having oc-
Cured. he viii make a good recovery;
but If at the same time he receives a lac
Grated wound, II may be even In another
part of the body, and this wound, not be-
ing cared for most scrupulously. becomes
infected. the infection will fasten on the
distant spot of least resistance, the broken
thigh bone and will produce a most dam
gerous and very frequently fatal form of
inflammation.
| need scarcely point in this con-
! necticn. as in fact throughout this entire
consideration of bacterioIogy. how impor-
tant a part in its development has been
played by experiment upon animals. The
experimental facts just stated are of vital
Importance in the treatment of surgical
diseases and evidently copId not have been
determined upon mankind. 1t is not too
much to say that had vivisection been re-
stricted or prohibited the surgery of to-
day would be the barbarous surgery of
thirty years ago.
Even granting that an enormous num-
Der of the bacteria are harmless, the won
der is that with SO many foes on every
hand we live an ordinary lifetime For
tunately, however. in the human body
there is not only lack of food sufficient
and elbow room enough for them to
work their dire effects but there is that
which makes for righteousness in our
physical organization as well as in our
souls.
The moment that bacteria are intro
duced into the human body certain num-
Der of cells hasten to destroy them. These
are called ''phagocytes'' or devouring
cells, because they eat up the bacteria
Whether the patient survives or dies de-
ponds on whether the bacteria get the
gocytes the upper hand of the bacteria
These statements are very easy to make,
but the results have only been obtained
by prolonged and laborious Investigations
! in the laboratory and by experiments
upon animals which have demonstrated
these facts.
Bacteria are recognized by various
| methods: First. by form. Many which
are identical i'll appearance. however, diff
fer greatly in effects. A handful of tur-
nip seed and a handful of rape seed look
very much alike, but if they are planted
the plants differ so greatly that we can
recognize the difference in the seed by
the difference in the crop: hence the sec
ond method of recognizing differences in
bacteria is by planting them. Different
sown on the raw surface of a potato;
others on bread paste. others in certain
jelly-like materials. such as gela tine or
agar-agar.- 1t was soon found as a re-
suit of these experiments that the bacte-
ria ficurisheG best some in one soil, some
in another. Again the crop of mold
which comes from them differs greatly
in color; some being black, some red, some
white, some yellow, etc. A third method
also is by staining them with various
dyes. when 1t is found that some bacteria
will take one stain best. others will take
another, and so on through the whole
list.
At first it was thought that these bac-
terra existed chiefly in the air and hence
in Listers early methods powerful spray
producing apparatus were used; but while
it is true that they do exist in the air it
is found that this is not the principal
source of infection. There is no substance
(Which has not been disinfected) that is
not covered with the germs of these little
plants They exist in our food and drink;
but the intestine is. one may say. ma
tural home in which many exist without
harm to the body. For surgical purposes
their existence is most important. first
in the earth where, as l have already
shown. the bacillus of lockjaw is most
frequently found. SO. too. the bacillus of
wool sorters' disease (anthraxl exists in
the earth II an animal dying of anthrax
Is buried worms coming from the carcass
I'D through the ground carry the infec-
ton so that other animals grazing over
this surface will readily become infected.
The means by which we can avoid infec-
ton from the earth is very evident, viz.
that every person who has been run over
by the cars or who has fallen on the
ground and broken his leg, etc, must have
the wound most carefully cleansed from
all dirt If this is scrupulously done the
danger of tetanus or other similar earth
born bacterial dis .ase is almost nothing.
A still greater danger to every patient
however is found in the clothing. in the
skin, and all dressings which are applied
to wounds The SKIN is fun of bacteria
of the most dangerous kind; even the
spotless hands of the bride are. in the
ewes of the surgeon, dirty. No one can
touch wound with ordinarily clean
hands without injecting it. All clothing.
dressings. e. G., lint and soft linen rags,
and such like. are full of bacteria of the
most dangerous kind. Perhaps the most
dangerous place is the space under the
nails of the surgeons hand. for the mere
mechanical removal of any dirt under the
nails by cleansing them does not make
them clean surgicaily. The nails must he
1cut short and prepared in a way l shall
mention directly. or they are full of peril