ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 87 



spread on a cover glass and fixed moist in osmic acid or formalin vapour ; 

 stained with Giemsa's solution (10-15 drops to 10 of aq. dist.) for 12-16 

 hours, the stain beino; warmed to steaming point during last h hour ; 

 then wash in running water for 2 minutes. The spirochsetes take a 

 deep red colour, the flagella appearing as fine wavy processes of various 

 lengths, at times having a band-like form. Most spiroch^etas of Schau- 

 dinn type have a flagellum at either end, those with only one have 

 probably lost one. Whether spirochgets belong to Bacteria or Protozoa 

 is still disputed, the undulatory membrane of Schaudinn and others not 

 being generally accepted. As yet cultural experiments have been without 

 result. 



Differentiation of Capsulated Bacteria by Agglutinating and 

 Precipitating Immune Sera.* — M. v. Eisler and 0. Porges succeeded 

 in so altering the bodies of capsulated bacteria that an agglutinable 

 suspension was possible. The bacteria were heated in an acid solution, 

 the protein of the capsules being hydrolysed, and after neutralising in 

 the cold, it was possible by means of the usual manipulations to obtain 

 specific agglutination reactions. 



The sera employed in tlie agglutination and precipitation experiments 

 were obtained by subcutaneous injection of sterilised emulsions of agar 

 cultures. The results of the precipitation experiments agreed with those 

 of the agglutination experiments when applied to differentiate B. fried- 

 landeri, B. rhinosderomatis and B. ozcence. 



Bacterium Pneumoniae simile.f — P. G. Woolley in studying 

 febrile splenomegaly, has isolated from one case, an organism in pure 

 culture from the spleen, not from other organs. 



The bacillus formed minute translucent moist colonies on glycerin 

 agar, and on coagulated horse serum. In glucose, saccharose and inulin 

 broths it formed a fine flocculent sediment : milk was acidified in 24 hours, 

 coagulated in 72 hom's, and the casein subsequently separated leaving, in 

 about 6 days, a clear pink supernatant whey. The organism thrives best 

 in milk and on potato. There is no formation of indol, and only slight 

 fermentation of sugars ; it is non-motile ; does not form spores ; stains 

 by Gram's method, and in appearance is a small polar stained bacillus, 

 resembling the plague bacillus. It was pathogenic to monkeys. The 

 author suggests that this organism may be one of the causes of tropical 

 splenomegaly. 



Bacterial Disease of Zingiber ofiBcinale.J — Y. Uyeda describes a 

 disease occurring in this plant in Osaka. Bacteria in almost pure culture 

 were found at the bases of the young sprouts, extending also in the root 

 and sprouts and causing the leaves to wither. Pure cultures were 

 obtained by plating, and inoculation from these into the sprouts of 

 healthy plants reproduced the disease in typical form. The organism 

 resembles B. omnivorus. It forms no spores, is not motile, and does 

 not liquefy gelatin ; it does not stain by Gram's method ; it forms a 



* Centralbl. Bakt., He Abt. Orig. xlii. p. 6G0. 



t Tom. cit. (1906) p. 589. % Op. cifc., 2te Abt. xvii. (1906) p. 383. 



