A report of microscopical and physiological researches into the nature of the agent or agents producing cholera / by T.R. Lewis and D.D. Cunningham.
- Timothy Richards Lewis
- Date:
- 1872
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A report of microscopical and physiological researches into the nature of the agent or agents producing cholera / by T.R. Lewis and D.D. Cunningham. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![[ ] for two (lays dcliriouB), we were particularly struck with the inarked diminution in tlio number of wliite corpuscles, wliich, in the course of a few hours, are usually seen in the ring of . Baotoroid bodies in typhoid scrum surrouuding thc clot in normal blood; and also by tlie constant pre- sence of numerous interlacing vibrio or bacteria-like fila- ments along thc edge of the preparation, stretching across from one cluster of red corpuscles to another. No movements whatever were exliibited by these bodies, which, in the course of a few hours, became slightly beaded, and eventually dis- appeared. So closely did they resemble the low forms of life above effect of osmlc acid on referred to, that we were at first mucli puzzled as to their real nature; but on subjecting a perfectly fresh sample of the blood to thc fumes of osmic acid in the usual way, we found that under these circumstances no trace of the existence of the delicate bodies referred to could be detected. We therefore inferred that their presence in specimens otherwise prepared was due to the separation of fibrine, which had not had time to take place to any great extent before the fluid was fixed by the osmic acid. The resemblance which these appearances bore to the their resemblance to the description of the motionlcss hacte- «bacteridia»inmaiderate. Davaiue, as occurring in the blood in mal de rate or malignant pustule, was very great; and we are strongly of opinion that the hacteridia so promi- nently set forth in connection with this malady, are not living organisms at all, but simply coagulated fibrine-filaments. Whilst this report was passing through the press, ^ , Dr. Bastian's very remarkable work* ITon-appearance of leuco- . , ■j' . . cytes xmder certain cireum- CamC lUtO OUr hauds, and WC WCrC much impressed by a reference made in it to the experiments of M. Onimus, which show that neither leucocytes nor any other kind of anatomical elements are produced in serum whose fibrine has been coagulated. This possibly accounts for the remarkable paucity in the Possible reason for the pan- HUmbcr of whitc-blood COrpUSClcS in ifv'^rfanSSlLib^ef typhold fcvcr when examined as above in cholera. described, and appears to us to verify to a great extent the opinion which we have formed as to the](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b20392023_0026.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
