ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 71 



as should render them very liable. In the above-named flat-fish charac- 

 teristic of the littoral marshes, the parasite is very abundant — in 18 cases 

 out of 30 specimens. It occurs diffusely or in cysts on the walls of the 

 digestive tract. The only Myxosporidia hitherto observed in these 

 •conditions have been species of Myxobolus. 



iEtiology of Kedani Disease.* —According to Dr. K. Tanaka, Kedani 

 disease is caused by a species of Proteus which gains entrance to the 

 body through bites caused by a small tick. No distinct proof of this 

 connection is adduced, but the assumption is based on the coincidence 

 of the simultaneous appearance and disappearance of the ticks and the 

 disease. The Proteus was not discovered in the ticks, but was isolated 

 from the body post-mortem and from urinary sediment during life. In 

 sections it resembles anthrax or the oedema bacillus, but in cultures 

 its form is very variable and frequently coccoid. It was cultivated on 

 the usual media ; the colour of the growth was usually whitish, but on 

 potato yellowish-white. It produces indol, causes an acid reaction, 

 coagulates milk, and in saccharated media forms gas. It grows equally 

 well in air or in hydrogen When young it liquefies gelatin, but loses 

 the power in a few months. In sections it is best stained with methylen- 

 blue, but cover-glass preparations stain easily with all basic anilin 

 pigments. Its behaviour to Gram's method is inconstant. It is 

 pathogenic to mice, guinea-pigs, and rabbits. It closely resembles, 

 morphologically and biologically, Proteus hauseri, but stains like 

 Bacillus capsulatus septicus. 



* Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., !«• Abt, xxvt. (1899) pp. 432-9 (2 pis.). 



