ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 601 



after subcutaneous inoculation. Pigeons are readily infected, and show- 

 post-mortem lesions identical with those found in the pheasant. 



Cultivations of Gonococcus.* — Wildbolz, in a preliminary communi- 

 cation, comments upon the unanimity of observers who record their 

 failure to obtain a growth of the gonococcus on ordinary nutrient media, 

 and states that in only four strains out of twenty did be fail t > obtain a 

 growth on ordinary agar and in broth. He attained this result by 

 cultivating the gonococcus, isolated from early acute cases of gonorrhoea! 

 urethritis, through a number of generations upon serum-agar, and at 

 each generation inoculating tubes of ordinary agar ; he then found that 

 although he seldom obtained a growth from the second or third genera- 

 tion, he was usually successful after the fourth or fifth. In one instance 

 he only obtained a growth on ordinary agar after sixty -two generations 

 on serum-agar. 



The growth from early generations was always scanty, but became 

 better after ten to twenty, and he was then usually able to cultivate the 

 coccus on ordinary agar through 15-20 generations. With increased 

 capacity for saprophytic growth the vitality increased, and sub-cultures 

 could be obtained from four-week-old cultivations. The virulence 

 under these conditions was not tested. The author further remarks 

 that all batches of agar, although prepared in the same manner (watery 

 extract of beef plus 1 p.c. peptone, ■ 5 p.c. salt, and 1 ■ 5 p.c. agar, 

 rendered feebly alkaline in reaction), were not equally suitable for the 

 growth of the gonococcus, but that he has not yet determined the factors 

 concerned in the production of this difference. 



New Pyogenic BacillllS.f — Stefansky describes a new pus-producing 

 bacillus which he isolated from the pus aspirated from an abscess of the 

 leg. Microscopically numerous organisms, apparently cocci, were ob- 

 served, many being contained in the pus-cells. Cultures on agar, after 

 24 hours, showed a pure growth of a short, fairly thick rod, with 

 rounded or pointed ends. The organism was extremely pleomorphic, 

 short rods, globular and flask-shaped forms, also short and long threads 

 showing irregular swellings, together with branched and Y-shaped 

 forms, being frequently met with in artificial cultures of all ages from 

 24 hours onwards. It stains well with ordinary dyes, but not by Gram ; 

 is a facultative anaerobe, optimum temperature 37° C. ; thermal death- 

 point 70° C. after exposure for 30 minutes. It grows well upon all 

 ordinary media, whether acid or alkaline, even at 10° C, and retains 

 its vitality for at least six months ; produces indol, ferments grape, 

 cane, and milk sugars ; does not liquefy gelatin ; produces acid in milk, 

 but does not coagulate the medium. When injected subcutaneously into 

 guinea-pigs, rabbits, cats, and dogs, produces local suppuration, not 

 followed, however, by generalised infection. It is extremely pathogenic 

 to pigeons, producing death after intramuscular injection in 20-40 

 hours, the bacillus being recovered in pure culture from the blood. 

 Toxines obtained from week-old broth were also fatal to the pigeon in 

 doses of 1-2 ccm. in 5-6 days. 



* Centralbl. Bakt., 1" Abt.. xxxi. (1902) pp. ]28-:!2. 

 t Tom. cit., pp. 8G-92. 



