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

and this in turn suggests further i'm
provements- in our practice, I. e., theory
outstrips practice and enlarges its domain.
Thus outstripp,ng theory the practical adj
vance made by Lister was an example of
the first His striking results in turn
stimulated scientific observers to make
new discoveries of the greatest Importance
and thus science immensely improved and
widened our practical methods.
No definite year or day can be assigned
as the birth-date of Lord Listers anti
septic methods, as we can. for instance,
for vaccination or for anaesthesia. We
may assume. at least for this country. the
summer of 1876 as the starting point. Dur
ing that year Lord Lister attended the In
ternational Medical Congress held in
Philadelphia and demonstrated his then
methods and convinced few surgeons
of their immense advantages Even be-
fore that date there had been very many
experiments and observations. especially
on the blood. In 1863 Davaine in France
had discovered little red-like bodies in the
blood In wool sorters disease, or anthrax.
which he named from their shape "bac-
terra" or little rods" This name has
been adopted for all forms of germs,
though many of them are not rod-like in
their shape. Not until 1881 was the cause
of Inflammation and suppuration (the for
nation of pus or 'matter.') discovered.
In that year Ogston, of Aberdeen. publish
ed experiments which he believed demon.
strated Se fact that certain bacteria were
the cause of suppuration. Since then this
has been amply confirmed not only by ex-
periments upon animals, but by observa-
ton in man. In 1852 Robert Koch, of Ber-
lin. discovered the cause of tuberculosis.
a little rod-like body, which is named the
bacillus" of tuberculosis. In 1888 Fchle-
isen discovered the cause of erysipelas
and in 1881 Nicolaier and Rosenbaum dis
covered the bacillus of tetanus or lock-
jaw. So recent have been the discoveries
in bacteriology which have led to vast
improvements in our methods of treat
ment of wounds and the performance of
operations.
While the principles established by Lord
Lister have remained unchanged. the de-
tails in the treatment have been greatly
simplifed and made more efficient. For
the Information of the general reader let
me state a few facts. Bacteria are divid-
ed into two principal classes in accordance
with their form. One, known as "cocc"
from the Greek word coccus-"berry''-
may be likened to billiard ball. These
occur either in lunches, which have been
iikened to punches of grapes. and hence
are called, again from a Greek term,
"staphylo-cocci" Others are arranged in
chains, like beads. These are called
"strepto-cocci." These last are very much
more virulent and dangerous than the
staphylo-cocci Both of them produce pus
or matter and they the most widely
diffused and most common forms found in
infected or suppurating wounds. One kind
of streptococcus is the cause of erysipelas.
The second form of bacteria, known as
''bacilli." may be likened to a lead pencil.
Among the various bacilli that have been
discovered are those of tuberculosis, CLAN
ders, tetanus or lockjaw, etc. L omit
many others found in medical disorders,
as they do not concern this paper. How
important these discoveries are may be
seen by the following facts: Tuberculo-
sis, next TO that of suppuration, is. per-
haps. the most widely extended infection
TO which man, as well as animals, Is liza
Bile We are all familiar with It in the
form of Consumption, but the nom
medical reader is, perhaps. not aware of
the fact that 1t affects not only the lungs
but also the bowels in consumption of
the bowels: the bones, as is seen by every
surgeon almost daily, and especially as
the cause of the crooked backs seen in
spine diseases: in the joints, as is seen
in hip-joint disease. white swelling of the
at. IL .,gs-
ease Of all the other large joints of the
body; in the brain, as tubercular menin-
gifts; in the abdominal cavity, as tuber-
cular peritontis; in the skin, in certain
forms of liberation, commonly called lu-
pus: in the glands, as in the swollen
glands or punches in the neck, and end
less other varieties which l need not
name.
The bacillus of lockjaw is found in great
abundance around stables, and this ex-
plains the fact that hostlers, drivers, cav
alrymen, all of whom have to do with
horses, are especially liable to attacks of
lockjaw Moreover. certain bacteria thrive
best when exposed to the open air. Other
bacteria and among them the bacill of
lockjaw. thrive best when the air is ex-
cluded and this explains the danger of
treading on a rusty nail. which is popu-
larry and rightly known as peculiarly la
bic to produce lockjaw. The reason is not
because It is a nail nor because it is old,
nor because it Is rusty, but because from
the earth in which it lies it is most apt
to be the means of introducing into a
punctured wound the bacilli of lockjaw.
Such a wound bleeds but very little, the
blood soon crusts and excludes the air
and if any Of the bacilli of lockjaw have
been carried into the body, they find in
such a closed wound. from which the air
is excluded. the most favorable conditions
for growth and Infection of the whole
body. Knowing these facts from expert
ment, the treatment is clear. Lay open
such a wound and disinfect it and lock-
Jaw will not occur.
These two forms. the "cocci" or berry
ike bacteria. and the 'bacilli,' or the
rod-iike bacteria. comprise the great ma
jority of dangerous bacteria.
II must be remembered that there is an
enormous number of bacteria which are
not dangerous; some of them are entire
" harmless even If introduced into the
human body Others are the bacteria of
decomposition or putrefaction, which are
known as 'saprophytic" bacteria. All of
the harmless ones are known as mon
pathogenic," that IS, non-producers of dis
ease Those which produce disease are
known as ''pathogenic' and those which
produce suppuration as 'pyogenic." or
pus-producing bacteria.
All of these bacteria are plants and not.
as is very frequently supposed, animals