154 THE MICHIGAN ACADEMY OP SCIENCE. 



number of these inoculations, but there were over 50, and the results 

 were ujiiformlv negative. In one case I got a bacillus such as described 

 by other observers, Avhich had the morphologic peculiarities of the 

 tetanus bacillus, but proved to be non-pathogenic. 



In addition to these dialysis experiments with the powder, I also 

 made anaerobic cultures from about 20 samples of wads in the various 

 culture media, and injected all of them where any long rods were found 

 on microscopical examination. These also gave negative results. 



In another series of experiments I endeavored to ^ascertain how long 

 the tetanus bacillus would live in intimate mixture with gunpowder, 

 by mixing a virulent culture with powder and taking samples once a 

 week for culture and inoculation. I cannot speak of the results of 

 these experiments with any great certainty, as my stock culture proved 

 to be a very j)Oor grower under the most favorable circumstances, but 

 I think I can say, from two sets of experiments carried out in this 

 way, that the bacillus loses its vitality rather rapidly under these con- 

 ditions. I should want to repeat the experiments with a better culture 

 of the organism before reporting them in detail or making anj- very 

 definite statements about them. 



1 do not regard these experiments of mine regarding the possibility 

 of the presence of the tetanus bacillus in blank cartridges as conclusive, 

 inasmuch as there are still some possible sources of error, but every 

 set of negative results on this side of the question strengthens the evi- 

 dence for the other side. If we admit the probability that the blank 

 cartridges are not the source of the organisms, it remains for someone 

 to show conclusively that the street dirt is the cause, by i^roving that 

 tetanus bacilli can be found in the dirt on the hands of children fre- 

 quently enough to explain the high percentage of blank cartridge 

 wounds in which the disease occurs. I made last fall two sets of ex- 

 periments in this line, in which I had a number of boys who had been 

 playing football in the dusty streets until the dirt was well rubbed in 

 scrub their hands thoroughly in SOU c.c. each of glucose bouillon, which 

 was then put in flasks, incubated in hydrogen for several days, and 

 then injected into guinea pigs,. My results Avere negative here also, but 

 the experiments were unsatisfactory for several reasons — first, because 

 there were not enough of them to be conclusive; second, because the sea- 

 son was not the best, and third and most important, because tetanus is 

 not at all prevalent in this particular locality. I hope to have a chance 

 this summer to make similar experiments in great numbers in some of 

 the cities where the tetanus mortality is high. 

 T. B. CooLEY, A. B., M. 1)., Asst. Professor of Hygiene, 

 Hygienic Laboratory, Univei'sity of Michigan, 

 Ann Arbor. 



