ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 243 



which resemble Streptococcus in appearance ; but a closer examination 

 reveals that fission takes place not ouly in the plane at right angles to 

 the long axis of the chain, but also in that parallel thereto. Hence the 

 appearance of pseudo-ramification may arise. But as multiplication 

 also takes place in a third plane, the so-called woolpack arrangement 

 of eight or sixteen cells is produced. 



If the observation be confirmed — and it is supported by Fraenkel and 

 Sobernheim — then there exists a polymorphic bacterium which may 

 present itsulf in the form of a motile rodlet or in that of Sarcina. 



Bacillus of Cerebrospinal Meningitis.* — Herr Stadelmann describes 

 a microbe which was isolated from cerebrospinal fluid obtained by 

 lumbar puncture from a case of cerebrospinal meningitis. The bac- 

 terium is very polymorphic, varying in shape from bacilli to cocci, and 

 sometimes showing also bulbous extremities. The rodlet is thick, and 

 possesses one flagellum. It is motile, a potential aerobe, does not stain 

 by Gram's method, and often shows a bright central part. On agar, 

 colonies were first seen in 5-6 days, and were the size of pins'-heads on 

 the seventh. Cultivations were also successful in bouillon, grape-sugar 

 bouillon, gelatin, and milk. The gelatin is not liquefied ; milk is not 

 coagulated or acidified ; and gas is not produced. The results from 

 inoculation of animals were negative. 



Anthrax in the Dog.j — M. H. Martel diminished the natural resist- 

 ance of full-grown dogs by means of subcutaneous injections of alkaline 

 solutions of phloridzin in doses of 0"2-0'5 grin, per kilo., and of pyro- 

 gallol in doses of 0-2 grin, per kilo, weight of animal. Rabid animals 

 were found to be very sensitive to anthrax, and full-grown dogs suc- 

 cumbed to the subcutaneous injection of anthrax which had passed 

 through the ox. 



After one passage through a rabid dog, the virulence was so increased 

 that successful transferences were made from dog to dog. The virulence 

 of anthrax of bovine origin, after passing through a fuil-grown dog, was 

 sufficiently increased to kill a considerable proportion of the dogs in- 

 jected therewith, so that after thirty to thirty-six passages, the virus was 

 always fatal to dogs of every kind. When fortified by numerous pas- 

 sages through the dog, anthrax undergoes morphological variations ; it 

 becomes shorter, more stumpy, and does not form long filaments in liquid 

 nutritive media. 



Morphology and Biology of the Pseudodiphtheria Bacillus.:}: — Dr. 

 A. De Simoni describes exhaustively the characters, morphological and 

 cultural, of sixteen varieties of the pseudodiphtheria bacillus. The original 

 sources were ozaena, conjunctivitis, rhinitis, eczema, pock pustules, otitis, 

 rhinoscleroma, and the mouth. The morphological characters, and the 

 appearances in the different cultivation media, are given in tabular form, 

 for which the original should be consulted. The effect of dry and moist 

 heat, of direct sunlight, of subnormal temperature, and of the action of 

 disinfectants, is also given in tables. Experiments on animals led to 



* Deutscb. med. Wochenschr., 1899, No. 39. See Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par.. 1" Abt., 

 xxvii. (1900) pp. 114-5. t Ann. Inst. Pasteur, xiv. (1900) pp. 13-22. 



X Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., l te Abt., xxvi. (1899) pp. 673-93, 757-64 (1 pi.). 



