ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 631 



Differentiation of Streptococci by Media containing Carbo- 

 hydrates.* — E. Salomon considers three groups of streptococci. (1) 

 S. pyogenes produces acid from starch, but not from glycerin, mannite 

 or raffinose, though strains grown from blood do produce acid from 

 glycerin and mannite ; (2) S. mucosus produces acid from glycerin, 

 arabinose, and mannite, but not from raffinose or starch ; (3) Pneumo- 

 coccvs produces no acid on carbohydrate litmus ascitic agar. 



Coli-bacillosis.t — K. Neumann finds that strains of coli bacillus 

 causing calf dysentery, when cultivated on artificial media, do not 

 appreciably diminish in virulence during a period of two years, nor does 

 continuous subculture from gelatin to gelatin, or from milk to milk, 

 heighten the virulence. Passage of the organism through guinea-pigs 

 increases its virulence for guinea-pigs, but not for mice ; passage through 

 mice does not increase the virulence for mice, but does so for guinea- 

 pigs. 



Researches in Bacillary Dysentery .% — -A. Di Donna finds that the 

 virulence of the Shiga-Kruse and Flexner bacilli is diminished rather 

 than increased by passage through guinea-pigs. A nucleo-proteid can 

 be obtained from Shiga-Kruse dysentery bacillus, which has immunising 

 properties for rabbits. By the autolysis of bacilli by means of physio- 

 logical salt solution, a nuclear substance can be obtained which is pre- 

 cipitated by absolute alcohol, and after drying may be kept unchanged 

 for a long period ; its immunising action is closely allied to that of the 

 nucleo proteid. The serum of rabbits treated with the filtrate of broth 

 cultures has protective properties against the living bacilli. The Shiga- 

 Kruse immune serum exerts no influence on the jFlexner bacillus or on 

 B. coli. 



Protective and Curative Artificial Immunity. § — A. P. Ohlmacher 

 reviews the work of Wright and others on the theory of opsonins and ou 

 the treatment by vaccines, for which he proposes the name " opsouogens." 

 The author mentions a number of diseases to which the treatment has 

 been applied, and gives an account of his own clinical experiences in the 

 treatment of acne, furunculosis, staphylococci, psoriasis, eczema, septic 

 surgical affections, and gonorrhea, with very remarkable success. 



Developmental Cycle of Bacteria. || — F. Fuhrmann believes that the 

 ordinary involution forms of bacteria are by no means always accom- 

 panied by serious injury to the bacterial protoplasm, but that the altered 

 cells have preserved their vital energy, and under suitable conditions can 

 reproduce individuals of the original form. The author has found that 

 Pseudomonas cerevisce, in a mineral medium containing 1-2 p.c. of 

 ammonium chloride and h p.c. of saccharose, passes through a complete 

 developmental series. The actively motile bacteria grow out into threads, 

 become non-motile, and form at various points knot-like joints, in which 

 are seen strongly retractile granules which are not of the nature of spores ; 

 in fresh medium they again give rise to short motile rods. 



* Centralbl. Bakt., lte Abt. Orig., xlvii. (1908) p. 1. 



t Op. cit., xlvi. (1908) p. 671. J Op. cit., p. 603. 



§ Michigan Acad. Sci., Rep. ix. (1907) p.- 118. 



|| Centralbl. Bakt., 2te Abt., xxi. (1908) p. 257. 



