104 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



as the toxins, and their formation is arrested on removal from the incu- 

 bator, while toxoids are chiefly formed in filtered bouillon cultures at the 

 expense of the toxin. One of the properties of toxones is the production 

 of late paralysis. 



Meat Poisoning from Presence of Bacillus enteritidis.*— A series 

 of cases of meat poisoning occurred in Sheffield on October 11th. The 

 meat was tinned "corned beef," and nothing particularly abnormal in its 

 appearance was noticed. Twenty-four persons were affected, and one 

 died. The symptoms, which appeared suddenly after a latent period of 

 1-3 hours, were drowsiness, giddiness, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, 

 colic, and collapse. A bacteriological examination made by Dr. J. 

 Robertson disclosed the presence of B. enteritidis Gaertner, an organism 

 belonging to the coli group. Its identity was established by its staining 

 reactions, motility, cultural characters, and pathogenicity. 



Occurrence of Bacillus enteritidis sporogenes in Ulcerative Co- 

 litis, f — Dr. R. T. Hewlett has formed the conclusion that B. enteritidis 

 sporogenes J is probably an inhabitant of the normal digestive tract and 

 frequently to be found in the dejecta. He has isolated it from cases of 

 ulcerative colitis, diarrhoea, chronic dysentery, from dejecta of healthy 

 persons, from road-dust, water, and milk. Considering its ubiquitous 

 distribution and the resistant nature of its spores, the conclusion seems 

 highly probable. 



Actinomycetic Appearances produced by the Tubercle Group. — 

 Dr. 0. Schulze § records a series of experiments made for ascertaining 

 the conditions under which actinoid and club formations ar/e produced by 

 tubercle bacilli. The animals were inoculated both locally and by intra- 

 arterial injection, and in all cases actinomycetic appearances were ob- 

 served. Though cultures of all degrees of virulence gave rise to the 

 formations, they (the formations) first developed from cultures of low 

 virulence. The general conclusion is that between true actinomycosis 

 and tuberculosis are numerous gradations and affinities, and that the 

 tubercle bacillus is to be regarded, not as a fission, but as a filament 

 fungus. 



The subject is pursued by Prof. 0. Lubarsch,|] whose investigation 

 is a pendant and continuation of the foregoing. He records the result 

 of experiments made with (1) modified tubercle ; (2) pseudo-tubercle ; 

 (3) Streptothrix asterioides and Bac. mallei ; (4) some other microphytes 

 of the streptothrix group. From these it is inferred that ray and club 

 fonts are to be regarded as malformations by arrest, and that actino- 

 mycetic appearances are common to a group of fungi, viz. the Strepto- 

 trichese. These microphytes should not be classed either with Schizo- 

 mycetes or with Hyphomycetes, but should be located between the two 

 as an independent transition form, and Actinomyces proper should be 

 regarded as a sub-species of Streptothrix. The illustrations, which are 

 in a plate common to both authors, leave no doubt as to the resem- 



* Brit. Med. Journ., 1899, ii. pp. 1367-8. 



t Trans. Jenner (late British) lust. Preveut. Med., 1199, ser. ii. pp. 70-80. 



t Cf. this Journal, 1899, pp. 429-30. 



§ Zeitschr. f. Hygiene u. Infekt., xxxi. (1899) pp. 153-86. 



|| Torn, cit., pp. 1S7-220 (1 pi.).- 



