A Paper on ” Germs” was then read by Dr. J. Mitchell Wilson.

In the course of his remarks Dr. Wilson drew attention to the very important part played in nature by the group of excessively minute bodies known as Bacteria: these are so small as to require the highest powers of the best instruments for this special study and yet some of the most intricate problems in relation to health & disease are associated with their presence and development. He instanced an outbreak of a form of fever which occurred some time ago in Berlin & which upon careful examination was found to be associated with the presence in the blood of immense numbers of Spirilla in active motion.

To prove the correctness of the supposition that the fever was due to these, a willing person was inoculated with blood from a diseased one. Fever of a similar kind was the result.

It has also been shown that Sphenic Fever, which attacks animals & is very destructive, was due to Bacteria.

The Pulsefactive changes which are constantly going on around us are in a great measure carried by germs of Bacteria & other allied organisms.

Milk exposed to the air receives germs, which are invariably present in the atmosphere at all seasons, and changes are induced which result in the milk curdling & becoming sour. The week before the lecture, 2 samples of milk had been boiled (to make sure of their becoming sterile) in separate flasks: The milk of one flask was plugged whilst boiling, with cotton wool. The neck of the other was left open. The cotton wool acting as a filter kept out germs & this sample which was open at the meeting was found to be quite sweet. The other, which had been freely exposed to the air, had undergone the usual changes & on being examined after the lecture was seen to swarm with a special form of Bacteria (B. lachis).

Similar instances of decomposition were enumerated & the results exhibited under several microscopes.

The paper was illustrated with some beautifully executed sketches of various forms of Bacteria & other organisms.