ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 755 



7- is jx in circumference, and contains sulphur globules. It is without 

 cilia, but possesses the power of movement. Hinze could not discover 

 any nuclei, but he found small bodies in the cell which he considers to 

 be chromatin-grains. Division takes place by elongation of the globular 

 cell with a subsequent median constriction and the rounding off of each 

 half into daughter-cells, which immediately repeat the process. 



Achromatium oxaligerum.* — Otto Zacharias found this organism 

 in great abundance in damp moor soil. The original discoverer, 

 Schewiakoff, was unable to detect any motile organ. Zacharias has 

 found a single cilium at one end equal in length to the bacterium-like 

 body. The older individuals lose the power of motion. 



Salmon Disease.f— J. Hume Patterson claims to have demonstrated 

 that salmon disease is not caused by the fungus Saprohgnia ferar, but 

 by a bacillus, the B. salmonis p>estis. Working with pure cultures, he 

 found that fish kept in direct contact with Saprohgnia remained un- 

 affected. On the other hand, fish inoculated with the bacillus all died, 

 as they did also when Saprohgnia was combined with the bacillus in 

 the inoculation. In the latter case, however, there was growth of the 

 fungus as well. Fish inoculated with Saprohgnia and other micro- 

 organisms remained healthy. 



Some of the chief characteristics of the bacillus are these : — A short 

 thick bacillus with rounded ends and actively motile. Non-spore- 

 bearing. Grows profusely at room temperature and at 0° C, but not at 

 37° C. Liquefies gelatin, coagulates milk, and grows well in sea-water. 

 Strict aerobe. Does not stain by Gram's method. Pathogenic to fish. 

 Xon-pathogenic to frogs, mice and guinea-pigs. 



Chemical Products of Diarrhoea-producing Bacteria.J — Sydney 

 Martin has studied the action of the products of B. dysenteries (Kriise), 

 representing the bacteria of infective diarrhoeas ; and also that of the 

 products of Proteus vulgaris, representing the bacteria of putrefactive 

 diarrhoeas. 



B. dysenteries. From experiments with filtered cultures he finds 

 that a soluble poisonous body is formed by the bacillus, the effect of 

 which is, in the rabbit, to produce lowering of temperature, loss of weight 

 and diarrhoea. The alcoholic extract of the filtrate being practically 

 inactive, the author assumes that the poisonous effect of a filtered culture 

 is not due to a non-proteid body. Injections of the dried and powdered 

 bodies of dead bacilli caused marked symptoms in the rabbit, followed 

 by rapid death. The most potent poison of the bacillus is therefore 

 probably contained in them. 



Proteus vidgaris. Filtered cultures caused transient disturbance of 

 temperature and diarrhoea. 



The experiments were, at the time of the publication of the paper, 

 being continued. 



• Biol. Ceutralbl., xxiii. (1903) pp. 542-3. 



t Rep. Brit. Assoc, 1902, pp. G47-0. 



X Rep. Med. Oft". Local Gov. Board, 1001-2, pp. r.0^-40R.' 



