68 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



present, but scattered chromatin granules were observed. At the poles 

 of the cells were clear homogeneous protoplasmic masses. Granules of 

 volutin and fat were found, as in certain true bacteria, such as Sphsero- 

 tilus volutans. The form and arrangement of the flagella resembled 

 that of the spirilla. As regards the arrangement of the cells, the breadth 

 of the sheath and the pseudo-dichotomy, the author's work confirms that 

 of previous workers. He could find no confirmation for the observation 

 of Ellis that the spirilla appeared in the development of Cladothrix. He 

 considers Cladothrix dichotoma Cohn and Spkserotilus natans Knetzing 

 to be identical organisms. There is no occasion to separate this species 

 from the Eubacteria (A. Meyer) or Haplobacteria (A. Fischer), but the 

 old view which regards the thread-bacteria as highly-developed allies of 

 the true bacteria is probably correct. 



Bacillus septicsemiae ranarum.* — F. Venulet and L. Padlewski 

 describe an organism associated with epizootic disease among frogs. The 

 disease is associated with oedema, more particularly of the extremities, 

 and great weakness. Pure cultures were readily obtained from heart- 

 blood, lymph-sac, liver, or spleen. The bacillus is a slender Gram- 

 negative rod, possessing one flagellum, motile, and not forming spores. 

 It is pathogenic for certain fishes, crabs, guinea-pigs, rabbits, and pigeons. 

 The organism forms a toxin to which guinea-pigs and rabbits are 

 susceptible. 



Morphology of Gram-negative Bacilli. f — K. Shimidsa discusses 

 the appearance presented by indian-ink preparations of B. coli and 

 certain other Gram-negative organisms. The central point of each 

 organism shows a black spot, concerning which a number of hypotheses 

 have been enunciated. The author has examined various preparations 

 of these organisms, and concludes that the spot is an area of thinning 

 and that each bacillus is a bi-concave oval disk. 



Contagious Abortion in Mares. J—B. B. Lautenbach, after re- 

 viewing the existing knowledge upon the subject, gives an account of 

 his investigations on the cause of this disease. Material from eighteen 

 cases of abortion was examined. Cultures from four of these remained 

 sterile ; nine gave growth of an organism similar to B. paratyphosus A ; 

 other organisms of the paracolon and allied types were found in two of 

 these instances. Complement binding, agglutination, and inoculation 

 experiments were carried out. The above organism was found to be 

 pathogenic for mice and guinea-pigs. The author regards it as the 

 causal acent of the disease. 



•,- v 



Physiological Properties of Bacillus coli.§ — C. Revis has studied 

 the changes of fermentative properties shown by B. coli and certain 

 allied organisms when grown in peptone water containing malachite- 

 green or brilliant-green. Generally speaking, these reagents— more 

 particularly the latter — have the power of so modifying the character 



* Centralbl. Bakt., lte Abt. Orig., lxxi. (1913) pp. 343-8. 

 t Centralbl. Bakt., lte Abt. Orig., lxxi. (1913) pp. 338-42. 

 X Centralbl. Bakt., l le Abt. Orig., lxxi. (1913) pp. 349-77. 

 § Centralbl. Bakt., 2' e Abt., xxxix. (1914) pp. 394-410. 



