464 



SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



pyrogallol dishes with distilled water instead of with potassium hydrate 

 solution. Pieces of potassium hydrate are dropped in the water only 

 just before the bell-jar is put over the rest of tbe apparatus. By this 

 procedure the pyrogallol solution does not turn black or turbid. It 

 remains clear and becomes brown only. This serves also 

 Fig. 99. as an indication of the complete removal of the oxygen. 



f\\ Method of rapidly Filtering Nutrient Agar.* — Dr. 



11 S. Ruzicka describes the method initiated by A. Hoza for 



rapidly filtering agar. \ kilogramme of finely chopped 

 meat and 1 litre of distilled water are allowed to stand 

 for 24 hours in a cool place. The fluid is then squeezed 

 through linen, and 10 grm. pepton and 5 grm. salt are 

 added. The mixture, placed in a glass flask plugged 

 with cotton-wool, is steam-sterilised for ^ hour, and then 

 boiled on the open fire for 1£ hours. The next steps are 

 to neutralise and warm for 20 minutes over a small flame. 

 Thereupon it is filtered again, and to the filtrate 15 grm. 

 of finely divided agar are added, and the contents of the 

 flask boiled for 1^ hours over an open flame. The flask 

 is then placed for 2 hours on a Koch's steamer, after 

 which the contents are hot-filtered, care being taken not 

 to disturb the sediment. 



lOcc 



5cc] 



c, 



Cultivation of G-onococcus on Agar.f — Dr. L. Nico- 

 laysen mentions two cases of gonorrhoea! joint affection 

 from which the Gonococcus was cultivated on agar. The 

 joints were punctured, and the exudation, sown in ascites 



D bouillon and on ordinary agar, was incubated at 37°. The 



resulting growth presented the cultural characters and 

 microscopical appearances of Gonococcus. From this the 

 author argues that the received opinion that Gonococcus never grows on 

 agar, or that if a coccus do grow on agar it is not Gonococcus, can no 

 longer be maintained. 



(2) Preparing- Objects. 



Preparing Bacterial Cultures for Museum Specimens.:}: — Prof. H. 

 W. Conn puts 2 p.c. agar in large test-tubes which are tilted so as to 

 make slants. The tubes are left undisturbed for from 6 to 8 weeks, in 

 order to allow the surplus moisture to evaporate. They are then inocu- 

 lated in long streaks, and immediately sealed up with plaster of Paris 

 and paraffin. The cultures grow for a few days, then cease growing and 

 remain unaltered indefinitely. No disinfectant is needed. The method 

 is satisfactory, except for the fact that the moisture in the tube con- 

 denses with changes of temperature, rendering the tube cloudy. 



Preparation of Padulae.§ — K. Diedorichs remarks that snails are 

 best killed in boiling water. When large, the foot, liver, and stomach 

 should be removed. The head and rest of tho body are then boiled in 



* Centralbl. Bakt., 1" Abt., xxix. (1901) p. 673. 

 t Nord. Med. Arkiv., xxxiv. (1901) Afd. ii. Haft i. No. 5. 



X Proc. Soc. Amer. Bacterid., 1900. See Centralbl. Bakt., 1«* Abt., xxix. (1901) 

 p. 497. § Zeitschr. f. angew. Mikr., vii. (1901) pp. 29-30. 



