226 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



reactions are similar to those possessed by the Gaertner and Para- 

 typhoid-B bacilli. In some cases, these forms showed sHght degrees of 

 agglutination when tested with Gaertner sera, but more exact serological 

 methods differentiated them successfully. Further organisms, resembling 

 culturally and morphologically Bacillus parati/phosus-A, B. typhosus 

 and B. fsecalis alkaligenes, were encountered, but here agglutination tests 

 gave completely negative results. 



Streptotrichosis of the B Central Nervous System,* — S. Abramow 

 gives an account of a streptothrix isolated from a case of purulent 

 meningitis. This organism resembles some of the other streptothrices 

 in its growth upon ordinary media, but grows also under anaerobic con- 

 ditions if kept at room temperature. In the absence of oxygen, cultures 

 are killed by exposure to a temperature of 37° C. It retains the colour 

 when stained by Gram's method, but is not acid-fast. It is pathogenic 

 for mice, rabbits, and guinea-pigs, but not for rats. Agglutination, 

 precipitation, and complement deviation experiments were carried out 

 with a view to differentiating a number of different streptothrices, but 

 the results were negative. 



•^t)'- 



Influence of Lactic Organisms upon Typhoid Bacilli.t — Z. Northrup 

 has investigated quantitatively the degrees of acidity produced in milk 

 by Bacillus lactis acidi (from sour milk) and B. Biilgaricum, which will 

 inhibit and destroy the typhoid bacillus. Figures are also given for the 

 degrees of acidity in lactose broth and in whey which will produce this 

 result. The author points out, however, that in the raw milk of com- 

 merce the initial microbial flora, drawn from natural sources of contamina- 

 tion, will modify these results considerably. On the one hand, some of 

 these forms, either growing in association with the lactic bacteria, or by 

 means of their own metabolic products, will cause a ii:ore rapid destruc- 

 tion of the typhoid l)acilli than the lactic organisms are capable of 

 causing alone. On the other hand, certain species may predominate 

 which will check the production of acid by the lactic bacteria, while 

 some even live in symbiotic relationship with B. typhosus. 



Micrococcus cytophagus sp. n. : Micrococcus melanocyclus sp. n.| 



These names are given by E. Merker to two new species of bacteria 

 isolated from the leaves of Elodea. They are small, oval, non-motile 

 cocci, not possessed of flagella. The latter type produces a black, the 

 former a yellow, pigment. They do not grow upon the ordinary labora- 

 tory media, but flourish upon cellulose (cotton wool, filter paper), 

 attacking and destroying this substance rapidly. Micrococcus cytophagus 

 does not attack wood or corlc. 



Influence of Products upon Bacterial Growth. § — G. A. JSTadson 

 and S. M. Adamovic have investigated the influence upon the growth of 

 Bacillus mycoides of its own metabolic products. Peptone-gelatin tubes, 

 when completely liquefied by the growth of this organism, are sterilized 



* Centralbl. Bakt., Ite Abt. Orig., Ixi. (1911) pp. 481-94. 



+ Centralbl. Bakt., Ite Abt. Orig., Ixi. (1911) pp. 417-42. 



X Centralbl. Bakt., 2t- Abt. xxxi. (1911) pp. 578-90. 



§ Centralbl. Bakt., 2te Abt. xxxi. (1911) pp. 287-8. 



