758 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



typical oval cell, such varieties as bent rods, exclamation forms (!). and 

 y- forms were observed. When parasitic upon the sponge, these bacilli 

 obtain their nitrogenous food from spongin. 



Streptobacterium foetidum.* — L. Jacque and F. Masay give a 

 preliminary account of this organism, recently found associated with 

 certain morbid conditions, affecting man. It has been isolated from 

 sputum in cases of influenza or early tubercle, from cases of pleurisy 

 and tuberculous meningitis, and in pure culture from a periuterine 

 abscess. It grows luxuriantly upon ordinary media, causing rapid 

 liquefaction of gelatin and blood-serum. On agar the growth extends 

 rapidly over the surface of the medium, rapidly covering the whole 

 surface. Thus, if the water of condensation of an agar slope be 

 inoculated with material contain 'ng this organism, a pure growth may 

 readily be obtained by taking a sub-culture from the top of the slope 

 after twenty- four hours. Morphologically it is a small cocco-bacillus, 

 showing polar staining. In broth it may grow in chains. It is highly 

 pathogenic to laboratory animals, causing death from septicaemia in a 

 few hours. A toxin has been obtained, and animals immunized with it 

 yield a powerful antitoxin. 



Red Disease of Silkworm Moth.f — C. Broquet describes this 

 disease, which is very prevalent in the Tan-Chau region of Cochin- 

 China. The causal organism is a chromogenic cocco-bacillus. The 

 breeding of silkworms in these districts is carried out under very 

 unsuitable and primitive conditions, which are responsible for the wide- 

 spread infections. Preventive measures consist in the destruction of all 

 contaminated broods and thorough disinfection of the surroundings. 

 The ravages of this disease are less serious than those of pebrine. 



Microbe of Fowl Diphtheria.^ — T. Bordet and V. Fally describe 

 their methods of cultivating this organism. Scrapings of a piece of 

 false membrane are emulsified in saline, and a thread, steeped in this 

 emulsion, is drawn through the nictitating membrane of a fowl's eye, 

 with a needle. After twenty-four hours, the thread is withdrawn. The 

 primary inflammation of the nictitating membrane is transient, but if 

 infection has occurred, a typical rough greyish swelling appears in a few 

 days. A portion is removed, and shaken well in a few drops of sterile 

 saline solution. Plates of rabbit's blood agar are inoculated with this 

 emulsion, and incubated for two days at 85.° If subcultures be made 

 from a portion of plate where there is no obvious growth, pure cultures 

 are usually obtained. The organisms are very small, and frequently 

 cohere in zoogloea-like masses. They stain well with Giemsa's stain. 

 From cultures several months old, if inoculations be made into the 

 scarified pharynx, the disease may be reproduced. 



Recent Researches on Soil Bacteriology.§ — H. Fischer gives a 

 short account of some recent investigations carried out by himself and 

 others upon the bacterial flora of soil, and its agricultural bearing. The 



* Centralbl. Bakt., l*e Abt. Orig., lv. (1910) pp. 433-4. 



t Ann. Inst. Pasteur, xxiv. (1910) pp. 530-42. J Loc. cit. 



§ Ber. deutsch. Bot. Gesell., xxviii. (1910) pp. 10-20. 



