92 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES ItlflLATING TO 



also found pure in two cases of appendicitis associated with septicaemia 

 and peritonitis. In the more common type, where appendicitis was 

 accompanied by peritonitis unassociated with septicaemia, B. coli was 

 present in nearly every case. Other organisms found in such cases 

 were pyogenic streptococci, Diplococcus lanceolatus, Bacillus pyocyaneus, 

 B.proteus, B. mesmtericus vulgatus, and pseudo-diphtheria bacilli. 



' i Micro-organisms in Koumiss.* — B. Rubinskv finds that four species 

 are usually present. Two characteristic forms, koumiss-bacterium and 

 koumiss-yeast, are the agents essentially concerned with the preparation 

 of this material. Streptococcus lactis and Baal/us aerogems ( B. acidi 

 lactici Hiippe) are very constant accessories, and play probably an 

 important part in producing in the milk a degree of acidity destructive 

 to hostile organisms, as well as in keeping a set balance between the 

 specific yeast and bacterium. 



The most peculiar features of the yeast, its physiological reactions, 

 are dealt with in detail. The bacterium is a non-motile, non-sporing 

 organism, which exhibits a high degree of polymorphism. It is most 

 closely related to the B. acidophilus of Moro. 



Koumiss is usually prepared from mare's milk. The author found 

 that with cultures of yeast and bacterium in symbiosis, koumiss was 

 readily made from the milk of mares or camels, but not from that of 

 goats. 



Bacteria in Frozen Soil.f — H. J. Conn gives an account of a year's 

 work upon the quantitative and qualitative investigation of soil bacteria 

 under winter conditions. He finds that when the soil is completely 

 frozen, there is an unexpectedly rapid multiplication of organisms ; the 

 number obtained being greater than that obtained in summer or autumn 

 enumerations. The general rule is that the number of bacteria varies 

 directly with the moisture curve, but these winter observations show 

 that there are exceptions to this rule. The results of qualitative inves- 

 tigations, so far, indicate that there may be two groups of bacteria in 

 the soil, one group flourishing in summer, the other in winter. 



Actinomycosis of Plants.:}: — From the root-nodules of Alnus Glu- 

 tinosa and Myrica dale, Y. Peklo has cultivated organisms which he 

 assigns to the Actinomyces. In the first place, he considers in detail the 

 histological appearances of the tissues invaded by or in juxtaposition 

 with this organism, and shows how its relation to the host is at times 

 parasitic, at times symbiotic. The most suitable culture medium con- 

 tained beer-wort and some calcium salts. Inoculation with pure cultures 

 into fresh plants proved that infection could be transmitted in this way. 

 Microscopically, the organism was found to be a typical Streptothrix, 

 consisting of a network of threads, chains of coccal or bacillary cells, 

 enmeshing clumps of endospores. 



The author then considers certain analogies between the' changes 

 produced by this species and the histopathological changes associated with 

 actinomycosis in animals. He also states that in certain media con- 



* Centralbl. Bakt., 2te Abt., xxviii. (1910) pp. 161-219. 



t Tom. cit., pp. 422-34. \ Tom. cit., pp. 451-579. 



