HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



very beautiful. The colour of the corolla, azure 

 blue, the tube spotted, and a fringe of white hairs at 

 the base of the lower lip. 



On examining the andrcecium, we find the stamens 

 are four — two long and two short, or as we say, 

 Jidynamous. This is a sixth characteristic of the 

 order. 



The stamens are epipetalous. The anthers connive 

 and form a cross, as in Fig. 22. 



The pollen grains are small, free from any markings, 

 and of no special interest. 



The gyncecium, which is shown in Fig. 23, con- 

 sists of a deeply four-lobed ovary seated on a disk, 

 the lobes each containing one erect ovule. The 

 style basilar ; the stigma bifid. 



The fruit — nutlets, minutely granulate. 



The seeds erect, exalbuminous. 



Having followed out the study of Nepeta gkchoma 

 from roots to fruit, it may be well to recapitulate the 

 points in which it shows the great characteristics of 

 the natural order Labiatae. 



(a) Stem tetragonal. 



(0) Leaves opposite, exstipulate, full of receptacles 

 containing aromatic oil. 



(7) Inflorescence a Verticillaster. 



(8) Calyx tubular, persistent. 

 («) Corolla bilabiate. 



(|) Andrcecium, 4, Didynamous, Epipetalous. 



(v) Ovary, four-lobed. 



(6) Fruit, nutlets. 



There is yet one other point of interest in Nepeta 

 glechoma, and that is its micro-fungus. 



Without saying that Puccinia glechomalis is as rarely 

 to be found as /Eeidiuvi ari, still I think it is far 

 fro.n common. It is years since I found it, and then it 

 was in a field some little distance from Cold Harbour 

 Farm, Redland Green, Bristol— a spot well known to 

 Clifton microscopists, especially for a pond replete 

 with infusorial wonders, and abounding in Hydra 

 viridis. 



The following is Dr. M. C. Cooke's description in 

 his " Microscopic Fungi " : — 



Puccinia glechomatis, DC. Ground Ivy Brand ; 

 spots brownish ; sod subrotund, scattered, hypo- 

 genous ; spores brown, rather short, sub-elliptic, 

 scarcely at all constricted. On leaves of Ground 

 Ivy, Glechoma hederacea. September and October. 

 Not uncommon. 



The Fungus will be found figured on plate iv., 

 fig s - 73. 74 of the above work. 



Those who wish to refer to any old herbal will 

 doubtless find many wonderful medicinal properties 

 assigned to this plant. 



Dr. Taylor mentions that in the North of England 

 it "is credited with a fair share of medicinal pro- 

 perties."* 



Sir J. D. Hooker speaks of the plant as bitter and 



" Half Hours in Green Lanes," p. 230. 



aromatic, and that it was formerly used for beer, and 

 occasionally for tea. 



A tea made from the leaves of this plant is said to 

 be good for colds, and is, I believe, often used by 

 country folk. If you boil a few leaves in a test 

 tube, the aromatic aroma given off will be found to be 

 refreshing and pleasant. 



Corns are by no means pleasant things to be 

 troubled with, especially in long botanical rambles. 

 Be it known, therefore, that if a leaf or two is steeped 

 in vinegar for a few hours, and then placed on a 

 troublesome corn, and bound round with a small 

 piece of lint secured with cotton, immense relief will 

 be experienced. Let the leaf remain on as long as 

 possible, and if not eased, apply another. 



I do not say this will cure a corn— what will ? But 

 this I do say, from personal knowledge in many cases, 

 it will give relief, which is something. 



Thus, then, I have, as far as possible, endeavoured 

 to set forth the various points of interest in Nepeta 

 glechoma. 



THE CAUSE OF TYPHOID FEVER. 



MR. W. W. MIDGLEY, Curator of the Chad- 

 wick Museum, Bolton, recently read a paper 

 before the Microscopical Society of that town on the 

 " Bacilli of Typhoid Fever in Man." This paper 

 contains such an important set of original observa- 

 tions that we extract the most valuable of them for 

 the benefit of our readers. 



Mr. Midgley said the experiments had been carried 

 out under the joint observation of himself and Dr. 

 Sergeant, Medical Officer of Health. In the early 

 part of August several cases of typhoid fever were 

 removed to the Borough Hospital. Some peculiarities 

 in a case which ended fatally led Dr. Sergeant to 

 make a careful investigation into it. In the second 

 week of August he brought to the Museum, in order 

 that the microscopic examination might be conducted 

 conveniently, a test-tube containing some blood 

 taken from the ventricle of the brain, as well as a 

 portion of the brain of the patient. They examined 

 a drop of the serum with Beck's 4-10-in. objective, 

 and could just discern minute specks in motion. 

 Then, applying a power of 1500 diameters, the nature 

 and shape of the specks came out clearly. The 

 bacilli were very numerous, flitting about the " field " 

 with lively movements ; some being dumb-bell shaped, 

 and the two rounded ends, particularly of those 

 where the constriction had become attenuated, 

 struggling as if to disengage themselves from each 

 other. Others were more rod-like in shape, some 

 with one, others with two slight constrictions occur- 

 ring along their sides. They also observed a few 

 inactive specks, rather larger than the active types, 

 auriculate in shape, somewhat opaque, the nature of 

 which they could not at the time make out. Drs. 



