ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MIGEOSCOPY, ETC. 249 



Bacteriology of War Wounds.* — H. Tissier has, since the beginning 

 of the European war, investigated the flora of a large number of lesions 

 contracted during hostilities, and finds that among the aerobic bacteria 

 the species most commonly met with is the Enterococcus. This organism, 

 which is a normal inhabitant of the human alimentary canal, does not 

 appear to be in itself pathogenic. It is very polymorphic, and appears 

 in the form of cocci, diplococci, streptococci, and as coccobacilli, with or 

 without false capsule. Next in order of frequency comes the Staphy- 

 lococcus albiis, then a variety of Bacillus mesentericus — (M./uscus), which 

 resembles Legros' B. septicus serobius. More rarely one finds true 

 streptococci (long-chained organisms which do not produce turbidity in 

 liquid media, do not grow on potato, and produce toxin and active 

 hsemolysin), Diplococcus grlseus non-liquefaciens, B. ptjocyaneus, B. 

 fluorescens viridus, Micrococcus candidus, and Sarcina lutea. The 

 dominant organisms in recent wounds, however, are the anaerobes — ■ 

 B. perfringens, B. hifermentans, B. putrificus, the Vibrion septique 

 {B. mdematis maligni), and its variety, B. sporogenes, and the Coccobacillus 

 praeacutus. 



New Bacterial Parasites of the Cockchafer.f — A. Paillot, while 

 admitting that Bacillus nielolonthse non-liquefaciens is the principal cause 

 of cockchafer septicsemia, states that he has isolated three other organisms 

 from the blood of individual insects, which should be treated also as 

 pathogenic. Two of these organisms, a diplococcus and a diplobacillus, 

 which he calls respectively Diplococcus melolonthee and Diplobacillus 

 melolonthse, have many biological and biochemical characters in common. 

 They are both Gram-positive ; they give very small colonies on ordinary 

 agar, while on maltose and glucose agar the colonies are larger, and 

 resemble those of the pneumococcus ; they do not liquefy gelatin or 

 coagulate milk. In bile-broth the diplococcus grows very abun- 

 dantly ; in pure bile the diplococcus grows feebly in long chains, while 

 the diplobacilhis does not produce any growth. Lactose broth is de- 

 colorised in twenty-four hours at 18° C. Both organisms produce acid 

 in glucose, saccharose, and maltose media. The diplobacillus also 

 ferments inulin, not so the diplococcus. The elements of the diplococcus 

 measure 1-1 • 2 /a by • 8-0 • 9 /a, those of the diplobacillus 1 • 6-1 • 8 /x 

 by • 4 /x. The third organism isolated, which he describes under the 

 name of Bacillus hoplosternus, morphologically resembles B. subtilis, hnt 

 may be readily distinguished from the latter organism in that it does not 

 produce a scum on the surface of broth media. On ordinary agar it 

 grows rapidly and abundantly, the colonies being large, spreading, and 

 with wavy margins. Gelatin is slowly liquefied ; ovoid spores are formed 

 towards the third day. The bacillus is very pathogenic for cockchafers 

 and the caterpillars of Vanessa urticse. The grubs of Lymantria dispar 

 are relatively refractory. 



Toxic Effect of Sodium Chloride on Meningococcus.!— C. Shearer 

 shows that sodium chloride in * 85 p.c. solution has a toxic effect on 



* Ann. Inst. Pasteur, xxx. (1916) pp. 680-90. 



t Comptes Rendus, clxiii. (1916) pp. 772-4. 



X Proc. Roy. Soc, Series B, Ixxxix. (1917) pp. MO-3 (3 figs.). 



April 18th, 1917 s 



