ZOOLOGY A.ND BOTANY. MICROSCOPY. ETC. 331 



The percentage of infection for unfertile and for fertilized eggs was 

 essentially the same. With regard to the nature of the infecting 

 organisms, from a series of 787 (giving 7*7 p.c. infections), 40 different 

 bacterial types were found ; these types included 1 1 types of cocci, 

 28 rods and 1 spirillum. There were no streptococci. Only a few of 

 the cocci were chromogenic. StaphyJococcus alhus and S. citreus were 

 recognized. Seven of the cocci were Gram-positive and four Gram- 

 negative. Among the bacteria, no representatives of the hgemorrhagic 

 septicemic group, the intestinal, the proteus, the colon, the enteritidis, 

 the typhoid-dysentery or the diphtheria groups were observed. 



Pathogenicity of Cholera." — H. YioUe has demonstrated the 

 importance of the proper functioning of the liver and the biliary 

 secretion in cholera infection. The bile alone has only an insignificant 

 action on albuminoids, carbohyrdates and fats. The toxins of the 

 Cholera vibrio have similarly practically no action on fatty substances ; 

 a mixture of bile and vibrios, on the other hand have an intense 

 saponifying action on fats, the acids produced having an inhibitory 

 action on the development of the vibrios. The vibrio toxin contains 

 apparently a substance of the nature of a prodiastase which can become 

 activated by organic (bile acids, &c.) or mineral (sulphur, &c.) matters. 



The vibrio-bile mixture employed (with adequate controls) was 

 incubated at 37° C. The composition of the mixture was as follows : — 

 Neutral pepton water, 10 c.cm. ; litmus, Q.S. to colour the mixture ; 

 neutral olive oil, 1 c.cm ; fresh aseptic ox-bile, 1 c.cm ; Cholera vibrios 

 (Constantinople strain), 24 hrs. ; broth culture at 37° C, 1 drop. 



Blastomycotic Meningitis. f — K. Goto reports a fatal case of 

 Blastomycotic meningitis of seven months' duration. Blastomycetes 

 were present in the cerebro-spinal fluid, which was under high 

 pressure. The albumen content of the fluid varied from 3 to 5 p.c. 

 Microscopically the pia mater was considerably thickened and showed 

 innumerable blastomycotic tubercules Avith giant cell production. 

 Cultures were made both from the cerebro-spinal fluid and from the 

 meninges. Blastomycetes grew ou all the media employed, (agar, 

 Loefiler's medium, ascitic agar, blood agar, glycerin agar, broth, 

 pepton water, gelatin, potato, milk, &c.), but particularly on acid 

 media containing sugar. The organisms grew equally well at room or 

 incubator temperature. The Blastomycetes multiplied by budding ; 

 neither mycelium nor spore production were observed. Gas was not 

 produced in sugar-containing media. The fungus stained well with all 

 the ordinary aniline dyes, and gave the iodine reaction and glycogen 

 staining. No toxin production was observed. Mice, rats, rabbits and 

 guinea-pigs were inoculated with cultures of the organisms. Death 

 occurred from one to three weeks later, but meningitis was never 

 observed post-mortem, and giant cells were absent from tissue sections. 

 The dog appeared to be immune. 



* Ann. Inst. Pasteur, xxx. (1916) pp. 160-2. 



t Mitteilungen aus der Medizinischen Pakultat der Kaiserlisheu Universitat 

 zu Tokyo, XV. (1915) pp. 75-101 (2 pis. and 1 chart). 



