Lecture on the action of the cholera poison on the body, and its nature and history outside the body : delivered at a meeting of the Bengal branch of the Brit. Med. Assn. on the 19th January, 1870 : and the discussion of the subject on the 31st January and 8th February, 1870 / by John Murray.

  • Murray, John, 1809-1898.
Date:
1870
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Lecture on the action of the cholera poison on the body, and its nature and history outside the body : delivered at a meeting of the Bengal branch of the Brit. Med. Assn. on the 19th January, 1870 : and the discussion of the subject on the 31st January and 8th February, 1870 / by John Murray. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    11/60 (page 9)
    in comparatively trifling numbers. At the same time I do not consider that the individuality of the germ depends on its being visible. There are many agents that cannot be seen that are appreciable by the olfactory nerve. Gases or vapours, that are invisible, yet may cause death, or lingering illness. For practical purposes we have gained an important point. It may reasonably bo inferred that this animalcule or infuso- rium thrives best where the cholera germ is present, and that whatever acts on it, will act in a similar manner on the cholera germ. A series of most interesting experiments has been begun to investigate this point. All ordinary antiseptics have been used, and also all the remedies recommended in cholera. Their action was uniform, and the result curious, aud likely to lead to valuable consequences. In the first instance, the remedies were applied to the animalcule in its lively state, and the effect watched under the microscope. In some cases it was sudden death, in others the motion slowly but certainly ceased ; in others they turned round about for some time, and then ceased to move ; whilst with other supposed valuable remedies they continued lively and unaffected. In estimating the value of these experiments, it must be borne in mind that they were conducted in glass tubes; whereas in the human body, they have to be conducted in the stomach and intestines. The effect of these agents was very curious, and watched with great interest. The gastrio juice was first used in the shape of pepsine, a neutral, or rather alkaline preparation. For some time it had apparently no effect, but gradually the motions diminished, though they had not entirely ceased, in half an hour. The most interesting experiment was the addition of a very small quantity of acid to the pepsine, which renders it more like the natural gastric juice. The suspension of anima- tion was instantaneous, more rapid than from any of the other agents that were employed ; the outer coat of the corpuscle was then dissolved. When bile was diluted and applied, the motions gradually subsided ; and when applied undiluted, the