ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 313 



diminish in any way the pathogenic virulence of B. tuberculosis in 

 sputum. Single experiments also tended to show that ozone has little 

 if any effect on the pathogenic virulence of B. mallei and B. anthracis. 

 The authors confirm Ohlinuller's conclusions as to the bactericidal 

 property of ozone when passed through a fluid medium containing bac- 

 teria in suspension. The inactivity of ozone in the dry state as a dis- 

 infectant, and its action in the presence of water, recall the action of 

 other gases, e.g. chlorine and sulphuric dioxide. In the dry state and 

 under natural conditions ozone appears to exert no bactericidal action ; 

 and the purifying effect claimed for it is due to the direct chemical 

 oxidation of putrescible organic matter ; nor does it in any way hinder 

 the action of bacteria. 



Penetration of the Intestinal Wall by Bacteria. — Dr. A. Scholt,* 

 in a paper on the question whether there are experimental or clinical 

 grounds for believing that pathogenic or non-pathogenic bacteria can 

 penetrate the wall of the healthy gastro-intestinal canal, reviews the ex- 

 tensive literature of the subject, and shows that the evidence adduced 

 is strongly against the probability of such a penetrating power. The 

 paper is also valuable for the bibliography of the subject. 



Biology of Marine Bacteria.t — S. Schmidt-Nielsen obtained samples 

 of sea-water from the surface to 25 metres below, and found that, with 

 one exception, the amount of germs was markedly greater at the lower 

 levels than at the higher. The author mentions, as a curiosity, that a 

 chromogenic bacterium was often isolated, and also that in every sample 

 was a rodlet which gave grey liquefying colonies. The latter bacterium 

 was constantly found to cause ammoniacal decomposition of Pandalus 

 borealis in less than 48 hours after they were boiled. Eeference is then 

 made to the bacteria found in herring-brine. When fresh, brine contains 

 some 100,000 to over 1,000,000 germs per ccm. The numbers diminish 

 with age until the minimum of 1 to 200 per ccm. is reached. A curious 

 feature in connection with the diminution is mentioned, namely, that the 

 number found on bacterioscopic examination seems inversely proportional 

 to the number found on cultural estimation. Numerous species having 

 various forms were found. Some were chromogenic, most were lique- 

 fying, and all were potential anaerobes. 



New Bacteria. J — Dr. Tei'si Matzuschita gives an account of a series 

 of hitherto undescribed bacteria. 

 Pathogenic bacteria : — 



(1) Bacillus rubefaciens pyogenes sp. n. A small thin rodlet with 

 rounded ends, which was isolated from the heart-blood of a guinea-pig. 

 On agar with 5 p.c. salt thick rodlets and long filaments developed. It 

 is aerobic, is easily stained, but not by Gram's method. It grows well 

 on ordinary media. It is non-liquefying. A pink colour developes in 

 agar and in bouillon, potato, and milk. Indol is formed in bouillon. It 

 is pathogenic to guinea-pigs. 



(2) Bacillus terrestris sp. n., found in garden earth, is a largish 

 xodlet with rounded ends, is motile and stains well. The growth is 



* Centraibl. Bakt., V Abt., xxix. (1901) pp. 239-55, 291-7. 



+ Biol. Centralbl., xxi. (1901) pp. 65-71. 



X Centralbl. Bakt., l t8 Abt., xxix. (1901) pp. 377-90. 



