ZOOLOGY AND I50TANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 93 



as variable as that of forming acid or indol, or of coagulating milk ; 

 and that this power is seriously influenced by the serum of animals 

 immunised by sterilised coli cultures. 



Classification of the Haemorrhagic Septicaemia.* — According to 

 J. Lignieres, the following are the specific characters of the pasteurella, 

 a group of pathogenic micro-organisms which give rise to haemorrhagic 

 septicaemia: — Non-motile cocco-bacilli, not staining by Gram's method, 

 very polymorphic, with involution forms, not liquefying gelatin, not 

 coagulating milk which retains its normal reaction, no visible growth 

 on potato, not forming indol in pancreatic-bouillon, not reddening 

 Wurtz gelose, markedly aerobic but also anaerobic, developing an odour 

 sui generis. No spores, no flagella, virulence variable but usually high. 

 On intravenous injection, a special affinity for synovial sheaths of 

 tendons and joints. 



The group of pasteurelloses includes diseases affecting birds, pigs, 

 sheep, cattle, horses, and dogs. The part played by the pasteurella is 

 variable : it is rapid and severe, in which case the organisms are easily 

 detected ; or it is slow, passive, and preparatory, in which case the diffi- 

 culties of unmasking it are very great. 



Probable Identity of Achalme's Bacillus of Acute Rheumatism 

 and the Bacillus enteritidis sporogenes. f — R. T. Hewlett compared 

 Achalme's bacillus and B. enteritidis sporogenes Klein, and was unable 

 to discover any distinct difference between them. Both are anaerobic 

 anthrax-like bacilli which stain well by Gram's method ; both curdle 

 milk in the same peculiar manner, form gas, liquefy serum and gelatin, 

 and form spores under certain but identical conditions, viz. in gelatin 

 and serum, but not on agar or in milk, Their pathogenic action on 

 guinea-pigs also appears to be the same. Morphologically, culturally, 

 and in their pathogenic action the two organisms appear to be identical, 



Indol-like Reaction given by Cultures of Diphtheria and Pseudo- 

 diphtheria Bacilli.J — E- T. Hewlett found that a pink reaction followed 

 the addition of strong acid and weak nitrite solution to cultures of the 

 diphtheria and pseudo-diphtheria bacilli. The pink colour was found 

 to be due to some non-volatile substance, and was therefore not indol. 

 Chemical tests showed that it was skatol-carboxylic acid. The forma- 

 tion of this body by both diphtheria and pseudo-diphtheria bacteria 

 points to the close relationship of the two organisms, and it further 

 indicates that the routine method of testing for indol is insufficient, the 

 cultures must be distilled and the distillate tasted. 



Vibrio denitrificans Sewerin. § — R. Greig Smith isolated from 

 Sydney water an organism which morphologically much resembled 

 Bhizobium leguminosarum, but differs therefrom in being able to grow on 

 ordinary media as well as in media containing little nutriment, and in re- 

 ducing nitrate to nitrogen. It is polymorphic, and Y-forms and cells bent 

 at angles are not infrequent. It is readily stained. It is motile ; the 

 flagella are usually two in number, and are polar. The optimum tem- 

 perature is 28°-30° C. On acid-potato the growth is luxuriant, moist and 



* Ann. Inst. Pasteur, xv. (1901) pp. 734-6. 



+ Trans. Patli. Soc, lii. (1901) pp. 114-5. J Tom. cit., pp. 113-4. 



§ Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., xxvi. (1901) pp. 118-21 (1 pi.). 



