ZOOLOCY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 691 



New Species of Ascobacillus.* — Prof. J. M. Moreno found in canal 

 water a new species of Ascobacillus, A. aquatilis. On gelatin plates at 

 room temperature, or at 21°, lemon-coloured colonies 1-3 mm. in 

 diameter appear in 48 hours. The colonies are zooglcea masses, con- 

 sisting of bacteria in shape varying from cocci to bacilli. The bacilli are 

 2 /a long and 0*6 fx thick. The zooglcea masses stain yellow with 

 iodine, and resist decoloration by Gram's method, as also do the bacilli. 

 The organism was cultivated also on agar, litmus-lactose-agar, lactose- 

 agar, blood-serum, potato, bouillon, and pepton-water. Milk was slowly 

 coagulated. A. aquatilis grows at room-temperature, at 21°, and at 37° ; 

 it is strictly aerobic, and is not pathogenic to animals. 



Bacteriology of Acute Articular Rheumatism, f — Meyer isolated 

 from the tonsils of five cases of typical acute rheumatism a streptococcus 

 which grew best on blood-agar. Injections of the cultures produced the 

 characteristic phenomena of acute rheumatism. 



Bacillus isolated from the Blood of Syphilides. $ — De Lille and 

 Jullien report the successful isolation of a characteristic bacillus 

 from the blood of syphilitics. The cultures were made on blood-plasma 

 separated from the serum and in the fluid obtained from blisters. From 

 these sub-cultures were made on the ordinary media. The bacillus is 

 polymorphic. It is pathogenic to guinea-pigs, producing locally an 

 indurated ulcer with swelling of the nearest lymphatic glands. The 

 blood of syphilides added to a three days old culture agglutinates the 

 bacilli. 



Colon Bacillus of Hamster. § — Prof. B. Galli-Valerio describes a 

 disease of the hamster which was characterised by emaciation and 

 extreme fatty degeneration of the liver. From the liver, spleen, and 

 blood was isolated a short thick-set bacillus with rounded ends. It was 

 motile and adorned with polar flagella. The short cells were 2-3 /x 

 long, but the bacillus grew into filaments which were sometimes 60-70 fx 

 in length. It was easily stained, but not by Gram's method. On gelatin 

 two kinds of colonies developed, the superficial being flattish with a 

 thicker central portion or nucleus, while the deep colonies were spherical 

 with a yellowish central nucleus. The medium was not liquefied. It 

 was cultivated also successfully on agar, potato, carrot, and peptonised 

 bouillon. The growth on potato was white. Milk was coagulated in 

 about four days. Lactose bouillon and glucose bouillon were fermented, 

 but did not give the indol reaction. Bouillon cultures with typhoid 

 serum were agglutinated. Inoculation experiments on rabbits, guinea- 

 pigs, fowls, and hamsters failed, but were successful on mice. 



Bacterium coli gallinarum.|| — Dr. B. Bahnor examined the dejecta 

 of fowls, and found the first motions were free from fungi. Bacteria 

 began to appear in the course of the second day. Numerous kinds were 

 isolated, the most persistent being B. coli gallinarum. The characters 

 of this microbe are as follows : — A rodlet 2-4 /x long by ■ 3-0 • 5 fx broad, 



* Centralbl. Bakt., l te Abt., xxx. (1901) pp. 111-4. 



t Deutsche Med. Wochenschr., Feb 2, 1901. See Brit. Med. Journ., 1901, Epit. 151 . 



I Acad. Med. Paris. Julv 2, 1901. See Brit. Med. Journ.. 1901, Epit. 150. 



§ Centralbl. Bakt,. l te Abt.. xxx. (1901) pp. 273-6 (2 figs.). 



|| Tom. oit.. pp. 2H!1 1 1. 



