624 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



important results may be mentioned the following. A large percentage 

 of species produce indol, acidify and coagulate milk, ferment glucose, 

 lactose, and saccharose with or without the production of gas, but do not 

 produce peptones. The presence of bacteria in the proteids during 

 peptic digestion was found to cause a marked reduction in the amount of 

 peptones formed. 



Bacteriology of Leprosy.* — Dr. J. Barannikow supplements a 

 previous note on the bacteriology of leprosy by a communication in 

 which he remarks that the microbe is distinguished by a very com- 

 plicated developmental cycle, and that the forms of the different evolution 

 stages are unequally sensitive for animals. In some stages the bacillus 

 is very easily decolorised, and it is very difficult to avoid overlooking 

 it ; in this condition it appears to be more active than when easily de- 

 monstrable. 



From lepra nodules, which have been dried for ten days, cultures are 

 obtainable, and these do not differ in any material respect from thoso 

 obtained from fresh tissue. In the latest stages of development clado- 

 thrix-like forms appear, while the earliest closely resemble the tubercle 

 bacillus. 



Elimination of Bacteria by the Kidneys and Liver. f — Dr. Metin, 

 who has been working at the elimination of bacteria by the glands of 

 the body, finds that the kidneys and liver are impermeable to bacteria 

 introduced subcutaneously or intravenously. When however the culti- 

 vation tubes contain growths of the microbe injected, it is because the 

 inoculated fluid contains some blood, and this is evidence of a vascular or 

 epithelial lesion of mechanical or chemical origin. 



Infectious Disease of Ostriches.} — Dr. Marx isolated from ostriches 

 a microbe belonging to the group of bacteria of haemorrhagic septicaemia. 

 The chief symptoms were weakness and palsy of the limbs and neck ; 

 death in 2-3 weeks. In size and appearance the bacterium resembled 

 the plague bacillus, though in the body of animals the size varied, being 

 thin in mice, and large and plump in birds. It was devoid of movement, 

 was easily stained, but not by Gram's method. Spore-formation was not 

 observed. It grew well on the usual media. Milk was coagulated in 72 

 hours ; grape-sugar was fermented, indol was not formed. The reaction 

 of the medium was always strongly acid. The microbe was pathogenic 

 to mice and small birds. 



Bacteriology of Suppurative Meningitis.§ — Dr. Scheib isolated 

 from a case of suppurative meningitis a bacterium which presented itself 

 as a short rodlet, constricted in the middle, and having rounded ends. 

 In length it measured from 1*4 to 2 /* and its breadth was • 5 fi. It 

 occurs usually singly, sometimes in pairs, and as a rule inside cells. 

 The bacterium was devoid of movement, grew luxuriantly in most 

 nutrient media, fermented sugars, and was highly pathogenic to labora- 

 tory animals. The author identifies the microbe with Bacillus lactis 

 aerogenes Escherich. 



* 



* Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., V Abt., xxvii. (1900) pp. 709-10. Cf. this 'Journal, 

 1899, p. 544. t Ann. Inst. Pasteur, xiv. (1900) pp. 415-9. 



t Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., 1" Abt., xxvii. (1900) pp. 822-4. 

 § Wiener Klin. Wochenschr., xiii. (1900) p. 590. 



