Twee wetenschappelijke opnamen van cholera in gelatine before 1885

These two scientific photographs of cholera in gelatine, made by Émile van Ermengem, are striking in their visual simplicity. But within these contained glass tubes, there are worlds teeming with both life and death. Consider the symbol of the serpent, a form that these bacteria, spiraling within the gelatine, echo. The serpent is an ancient emblem found across cultures, often linked to healing and medicine, as seen in the Rod of Asclepius. Yet, it also embodies chaos and destruction. In the collective psyche, the serpent evokes primal fears and instincts, stirring subconscious associations. The cholera bacteria, like the serpent, embodies this duality, a microscopic predator instilling dread and fascination. It’s a potent symbol of invisible forces shaping human destiny, evoking a sense of fragility and the precarious balance between existence and oblivion.