90 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



chink between the capsule and the band is smeared up with paraffin and 

 wax, and then hydrogen gas passed through for three minutes. The 

 exit opening is then closed, and directly after the entrance opening. 

 The bacillus of malignant oedema, Bac. botulinus, and Bac. tetani have 

 been cultivated by this method. The contrivance is represented in 

 fig. 11. 



New Method of Cultivating the Tetanus Bacillus.* — Dr. L. Debrand 

 describes a new method for cultivating the tetanus bacillus. A mixed 

 culture of B. tetani and B. subtilis is grown under ordinary aerobic 

 conditions in bouillon composed of Liebig's extract 5 grm. ; peptone 

 (Chapoteaut's) 10 grm. ; salt 5 grm. ; water 1000 grm. B. subtilis de- 

 velopes first and forms a thick surface scum, and after some 24 hours 

 the drumstick microbe begins to grow. The toxin of the cultures is in 

 no way modified by the symbiosis, and is in fact identical with that 

 formed by B. tetani when cultivated under anaerobic conditions. It was 

 found advisable to start the cultures at about 34° ; but when the toxin 

 production had attained its maximum (5 or 6 days), the tubes were with- 

 drawn from the incubator, as the toxicity was from that time no longer 

 increased. 



(2) Preparing Objects. 



Method of Preserving Crustacea, f — O. A. Sayce describes a method 

 of preserving small animals which, while obviating the necessity of 

 keeping them in a fluid, retains their suppleness and natural appearance. 

 The method is specially adapted for Crustacea and such animals as have 

 a firm outer skeleton. The specimens (fresh or preserved in 70 per cent, 

 alcohol) are placed in the following mixture : — glycerin 1^ parts, water 

 1 part, methylated spirit 1 part (each by volume) ; corrosive sublimate 

 1 in 2000. The time of immersion will depend on the size of the object, 

 but there is no detriment from an indefinite period. Ten days will 

 suffice for Astacopsis bicarinatus. 



When the specimens have soaked sufficiently long to allow of all the 

 tissues being penetrated by the solution, they may be taken out, and 

 having been set aside for a few days to drain and allow the spirit to 

 evaporate, they may be stored in suitable boxes or wrapped in waterproof 

 paper. To prevent too much drying, or the deposit of moisture owing 

 to the hygroscopic property of the glycerin, the specimens may be 

 coated with gelatin and then immersed in 10 per cent, formalin for a 

 few minutes. This renders the gelatin insoluble to water. In practice 

 the author uses a quart glass jar in which are placed 8 oz. of methy- 

 lated spirit, 7 grains of corrosive sublimate, 8 oz. of water, and 12 oz. of 

 glycerin. 



Silvering Nerve-tissue. J — Sig. Mosso impregnates nervous tissue 

 with 1-2 p.c. solution of argentamin, and reduces with 10 p.c. pyro- 

 gallol solution. The impregnation takes 10 minutes and the reduction 

 five. The method was successful for the medullary sheath and for 

 nerve-cells. 



* Ann. Inst. Pasteur, xiv. (1000) pp. 757-6S. 

 t Victorian Naturalist, xvii. (WOO) pp. 75-8. 

 X Zcitsce.r. f. angew. Mikr., vi. (11)00) pp. 161-2. 



