BACTERIA A FRIEND NOT A FOE.

BY O. P. BAER, M. D., RICHMOND, IND.

Fellows of the Wayne Co. Homoeopathic Society: I have chosen for my theme on this occasion, one among the least, though not the most insignificant, of the invisible department of animated nature-the Bacteria. It plays a most important part in the whole physical world. It is a most restless, resistless, and obtrusive little creature. Going where he is not wanted; meddling maliciously, and feloniously in other men's matters. He has many accomplices, and but few friends. When we contemplate the entire field of biology, there is no department of it, which commands our admiration and astonishment more than this tiny little animalcula; millions of whom can conveniently float, and do business in one single drop of water. Think of it, how infinitesimal in size, yet, how active, how destructive, and above all, what great changes are laid at its door, many of them decidedly unwarrantable, and false.

It is a great factor in the economy of all nature. Exceedingly numerous everywhere; both in the atmosphere, and all decaying substances, whether vegetable or animal. In structure, it is a triple coccus, or three celled animal, arranged in a direct line; about from 1-15000, to 1-30000 parts of an inch in length. Its cells are composed of sarcode, which is the receptacle of the food; and in this substance are located all the internal organs of the animalcula. There is an infusoria, less in size than the one we are now considering; which is the vibrio; who, though a companion in one sense, of the bacteria, works out of sight in the structure assailed; not upon its surface. It cannot live in oxygen but upon the contrary, lives and propagates without one particle of free oxygen. On the other hand, bacteria must make very fre

quent visits to the surface, for free oxygen-cannot live without it. Thus, while the vibrio inaugurates the ferment in the inner substance, the bacteria develops it upon the surface. Thus they act in unison with each other. It is not the worm which destroys our dead bodies, but the active, meddlesome infusoria, the least of living creatures. These infusoria are perfectly inoffensive as long as life is an obstacle to their development; but after the death of the affected part, their activity begins. Vibrios working from the centre to the surface, destroys cell life and structure; while the bacteria developed upon the folds and wrinkles of the skin, works from the surface towards the centre, meeting the vibrio, devours it, and after having satiated itself, in its turn, is devoured by that loathsome little worm the maggot. Bacteria increases in warm dry weather; decreases in wet chilly and cold weather, diminishes on mountains, increases on valleys and plains. It is non-obtrusive to healthy tissue, but is always ready for its work, whenever circumstances favor it. It has no affinity whatever for healthy structure; but dearly loves to mingle, wherever fermentation has set in. Fermentation is its field of activity, aiding the previous occupant, the vibrios in its destructive work of tearing down tissue, and newly formed cells. Professor Tyndall says, truly, that bacteria is not the producer of disease, but the result of fermentation. It is virtually a creature of circumstances, arising as a scavenger, to clear away dead, offensive matter. It is highly useful in its legitimate office.

Like every created being, it has its uses to perform, and unlike sinful man, it never forgets to perform them, in the divine order of its being. It has no power to originate disease, but develops upon and gloriously revels in structure already diseased.

Fermentation is its desired pabulum. In it, the bacteria moves, feeds and develops, lives. But has not the least possible capacity, to produce pathological condition in any form whatever; notwithstanding the apparent evidence to the con

trary. Much has been written pro and con, but the great weight of the testimony is decidedly in favor of the innocency of our little, much abused, infusoria.

In cancrum oris, in diphtheria, in stomacea, and indeed in any cancroid disease of the mouth, they develop rapidly, entering from the teeth, which, not having been kept perfectly clean, furnish them all the necessaries of life. They are often found in great abundance between the teeth, and frequently under the finger and toe nails, and occasionally in the nostrils, ears, and inner canthus of the eye, and indeed upon any part of the body, where filth may naturally invite them.

Bacteria terma are by many considered to be the primal and leading factors in all zymotic diseases, as well as in tuberculosis of lungs, kidneys and liver. But when this matter is truly scientifically investigated, it falls to the ground as dead. It is known to physiologists, that the corpuscles of the blood are composed of all the elements of the whole mass. The white and red globules contain fibrin in fluid form; as it is one of the absolutely necessary elements of the healthy blood. Now whenever an exudation of lymph or serum occurs fibrin is largely present, and as soon as it réaches the surface, coagulation results. And now, if examined, this same fibrin resembles, in every respect the micro-coccus, and as coagulation progresses, we have the bacteria prima, or duo-coccus, and when the inflammation. runs highest, and the fibrin becomes really cooked, we have the proper bacteria terma, bacillus, as Professor Koch, of Berlin, has been pleased to style them, a squirming, spiral, fibrillæ, about the size in length, width and character of a regularly developed bacteria, or bacillus. This altered condition of fibrin, is simply the result of death, to the natural constituents of physical life.

This altered fibrin as it solidifies itself to the epithelium, closes the follicles and forms a false membrane, of a very tough character. This is all done by fibrin, in its change

from its physiological fluid state, to that of its pathological or solid state. From invisible to visible condition. All this occurs before the ingress of our little animalculæ, the bacteria.

Professor Koch maintains that bacteria, or bacillus, is the great cause of pulmonary consumption, or what is the same thing, that it generates tubercles. Professor Gregg, of Buffalo, after twenty years of careful experience with the microscope, disproves this in-toto.

Having myself been a subject of tubercles for more than forty years, I have frequently examined them critically, with very powerful glasses, both when whole and solid, and when broken down and offensive, and can say candidly, never saw any resemblance to infusoria. Therefore with all due difference to Professor Koch, I feel sure he has, been misled by mistaken fibrilla for bacilli. Great men often ride hobbies and deceive the masses. Bacteria is not a parasitical animalcula, but in every sense, a primal animal; hence not a creature of disease, but as the buzzard, feeds wherever his food is prepared, and thus really stands in the same relation to diphtheria, or other diseased substance, as the buzzard does to the dead ox or horse. None of the innumerable host of the tiny infusoria are the results of disease, their mission is that of purifiers-a scavengers.

When the glandular secretions become heated, curdled, and take form; resembling treo-coccus (bacteria, bacillus) floating in the serum, then it is that the scientist finds it hard to designate with certainty, fibril from bacteria. Look upon the bacteria as a friend, not a foe; he comes to feed not destroy. He comes to clean, not to foul; to carry away diseased matter not to impart it. He has no love whatever, for healthy tissue, it is not his field for work; he would starve to death upon it. His work is purely legitimate, honest and upright; then praise the little worker for his orderly life.-Medical Investigator.

"OPEN LETTER TO DR. N. V. WRIGHT.”

With your permission, my dear Dr., let's enlarge a little upon your Mens Sana, etc," it's a broad subject. Dr. Comstock's assertion, if correct, must have been reached through the aid of a pair of logical seven league boots as supplementary to usual deductive powers.

The Tight prepuce abundant smegma and emission, form collectively but one reasonable sign of sexual abnormality, and that established, you still have just one reasonable sign of possibly approaching insanity, just as menstrual suppression is one sign of possibly approaching parturition of the class reasonable." But who from such evidence would doom the victim in the one case to life in an asylum or in the other to a life of shame. Your allusion to Phrenology can give you no scientific support, as total lack of anatomical basis excludes that study from companionship with science. I cannot but think, however, and I believe, I can present an original phaze of the argument that the penis must have a more intimate nervous and moral connection with the attributes self-esteem, firmness and destructiveness than is generally supposed. I once saw a man whose penis had been amputated by a prostitute, and I challenge you to the production of a male exhibiting as little self-esteem. Indeed, Mr. Barnum would, no doubt pay handsomely for an example of male penisless self-esteem, be he "flesh, fish or fowl." As to firmness, as small as it is, and as pliant and vascilating in the ordinary exigencies of life when once thoroughly aroused the penis is capable of as great a degree of firmness as old Cæsar himself ever exhibited. Its relation to destructiveness is peculiar but intimate. As its function is, we may say, that of constructiveness, its amputation leaves a fraction of the race, which though proper in a sense, still one possessed of a negative quality not far removed from destruc