360 



SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



in tlie Laboratories of the Westminster Hospital, and is manufactured 

 by Baird and Tatlock, Ltd., Cross Street. Hatton (Tarden. 



Fig. 73. 



Aerobic Cultures of Anaerobes.* — F. Marino, after remarking 

 that it is usual to cultivate anaerobes on media containing large quanti- 

 ties of glucose, states that 2 p.c. or less of glucose has an inhibitory 

 effect on anaerobes. He has found that anaerobes develop very well in 

 quite fresh l)roth, while in broth several days' old no development takes 

 place. Old broth may be activated in the following way : 5 c.cm. of 

 serum are mixed with 15 c.cm. of broth, and the tube heated for 

 20 minutes at KiO^ ; a temperature much lower or higher than this is 

 deleterious. These media should be inoculated as soon as possible after 

 the heating. By means of this procedure aljundant cultures may be 

 obtained after an incubation of 24 to 48 hours. Tetanus spores 4 or 

 5 years' old will develop after 5 or 6 days, and abundant cultures 

 obtained therefrom. The toxin in these cultures is very powerful. The 

 age and quality of the serum used seems to be of little or no importance. 

 The author then proceeds with another phase of the cultivation of 

 anaerobes. He shows that anaerobes will grow well in symbiosis with 

 other organisms, such as Amylomyces Rouxii, Aspergillus oryzse, yeasts, 

 Mucor racemosus, Aspergillus, and some pathogenic and saprophytic 

 organisms. 



New Method of Hanging-drop Examination.f — M. Owada has 

 worked out the following method for examining bacteria in hanging- 

 drop. He uses a solution composed of carbon powder or lamp-soot 

 0'04 grm., gelatin O'l grm., 0*8 p.c. sodium chloride solution 20 grm. 

 After mixing the ingredients, the mixture is sterilized and well shaken 

 before use. The solution, which is intended as a guide-mark, is used 

 as follows : A drop containing the bacteria is placed on a cover-glass, 

 and then a loopful of the solution, the two being well mixed together. 



* Centralbl. Bakt., Ite Abt. Orig., Ixii. (1912) pp. 298-303. 

 t Centralbl. Bakt., Ite Abt. Qrig., Ixii. (1912) pp. 537-8. 



