Nature of Disease-Producing Viruses

Abstract

IT has been pointed out on more than one occasion that, if filterable viruses constitute a group of ultra-microscopic organisms, it is remarkable that no saprophytic forms are known. In Nature of Aug. 17 last (p. 267), Dr. J. J. Davis questions the validity of this argument, at least in the present state of our knowledge. “Until viruses can be known other than by the effects of their parasitism, it would seem to be quite impossible to detect corresponding bodies that are not parasitic,” he says, and “until some method is devised by which the constituents of the virus can be recognised, it would seem to be useless to look for them”.