i 9 4 



SCIENCE PROGRESS. 



notwithstanding a steady improvement in general hygienic 

 conditions this disease has steadily increased, especially in 

 towns where formerly it was of rare occurrence, and in 

 addition to this undoubted fact the daily press, both in this 

 country and abroad, has during the last few months de- 

 scribed with more or less accuracy the details of a new 

 treatment for diphtheria which has been extensively prac- 

 tised on the continent, and is now upon its trial in this 

 country. 



Diphtheria is allowed by every one to be a contagious 

 disease, and the precise diagnosis of this can only be 

 effected by bacteriological examination. In this way it is 

 possible to differentiate various conditions of the throat 

 which may simulate genuine diphtheria, a malady always 

 associated with and dependent upon the presence of a 

 bacillus first observed by Klebs (i), and independently 

 studied and cultivated by Loftier (2) in 1883. This ob- 

 server isolated two schizomycetes, a streptococcus and a 

 bacillus, from diphtheritic membrane. " The latter has 

 the same length as the bacillus tuberculosis, and about 

 double the thickness. The larger rods are composed of 

 separate links, and where the joints occur a knot-like 

 thickening- is often seen. In a not inconsiderable number 

 of individuals a terminal swelling is observed, and some- 

 times this is found at both ends." The bacillus can easily 

 be cultivated as a saprophyte upon various solid and liquid 

 media. It grows with varying degrees of vigour in bouillon 

 or milk, in urine (3) or Ouchinsky's medium (4); on coagu- 

 lated white of egg, or potato slabs made alkaline, and 

 upon gelatine, glycerine-agar, solid blood serum, or a 

 mixture of this with bouillon. The latter, known as 

 Loffler's blood serum, consists of a mixture of three parts 

 of serum from the ox and sheep added to one part of beef 

 bouillon, and this medium is claimed to be as admirably 

 adapted for the growth of bacillus diphtheriae as Pasteur's 

 fluid is for yeast, or Raulin's fluid for aspergillus niger. 

 Loffler (5) himself states that colonies can be recognised 

 four hours after streaking (and Hesse (6) says earlier than 

 the third hour), since the growth of this micro-organism has 



