I ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICEOSCOPY, ETC. 377 



solidation of the lung (pneumonia), while in animals artificially inocu- 

 lated with pure cultures the lungs are generally normal. 



Bacillus myophagus cuniculi.* — M. C. Phisalix describes a bac- 

 terium which causes a peculiar and infrequent disease in rabbits, the 

 symptoms being those of palsy or of contraction of the limbs. Usually 

 there is little or nothing perceptible to the sight or touch, but occa- 

 sionally there is swelling of the affected parts. The disease is confined 

 to the muscles, which become softened, necrosed, and caseous. In the 

 degenerated tissue, staining with gentian-violet easily demonstrates bacilli 

 and delicate filaments, and the same organism developes in bouillon when 

 infected with diseased muscle. In peptonised bouillon growth is visible 

 in 24 to 48 hours ; cottony fleecy filaments surround the bits of muscle ; 

 the medium becomes turbid, and clears again as the growth subsides. 

 Gas-bubbles form, and a strong cheesy odour is developed. 



In fresh unstained preparations the microbe appears as a motionless 

 bacillus of variable length, and as long twisted filaments. It is easily 

 stained, but not by Gram's method, and after staining with fuchsin the 

 investing sheath is rendered clearly visible. The microbe does not grow 

 in vacuo, and left in contact with air loses its virulence. When inocu- 

 lated in the ear of a rabbit the characteristic muscular lesions are de- 

 veloped, and if the animal do not die too quickly, necrosis of bone and 

 of the central nervous system may ensue. Pigeons and guinea-pigs are 

 similary affected, but dogs are resistant. 



Bacillus ferrugineus and its Hunger-form. - ] - — Dr. W. Eullman, 

 who had previously described Bacillus ferrugineus, and afterwards found 

 that, when cultivated for a considerable period in inorganic media, this 

 microbe underwent a morphotic change which he termed hunger-form, 

 now states that he has converted this latter shape into the original rod- 

 let form by cultivating it in meat-pepton-agar at 37°. The hunger- forms 

 disappeared in 5 or 6 hours, and the typical bacteria, when further 

 cultivated at 80°, produced again the dark brown pigment. 



Experimetal Reproduction of Dental Caries4 — M. J. Choquet 

 describes a bacillus which was isolated from carious teeth, and with 

 which he has succeeded in reproducing the disease in healthy animals. 

 The organism is a short motile bacillus presenting branched forms in 

 bouillon cultures. It is decolorised by Gram's method and does not 

 liquefy gelatin. It thrives in pepton-bouillon, but grows badly or not 

 at all on the ordinary solid media. On pepton-gelatin opaque white 

 growth appears in five or six days. The addition of 1 per cent, glycero- 

 phosphate of lime is markedly favourable to development. The bacillus 

 is a potential anaerobe, and developes more readily in vacuo. It ferments 

 glycerin, mannite, glucose, galactose, saccharose, lactose, maltose, dex- 

 trin, and inulin. It has no action on dulcite, erythrite, arabinose, or 

 nitrates. It does not peptonise albumen, coagulate milk, liquefy starch- 

 paste, or form indol. 



An incisor of a sheep was infected with a pure culture of the bacillus. 

 A hole was bored in the tooth, the culture inserted, and then the hole 



* Comptes Renclus, cxxx. (1900) pp. 950-3 (1 fig.). 



t Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., 2 te Al.t., vi. (1900) pp. 129-31. Cf. this Journal, 

 1899, p. 74. % Comptes Eendus, cxxx. (1900) pp. 949-50. 



