BACTERIOLOGICAL NOTES. 

 By Dr. Oscar Katz. 



1. — Note on the Bacillus op Leprosy. 



Since its discovery by Hansen and Neisser, about ten years ago, 

 the bacillus of leprosy has been made the subject of numerous 

 researches, with a view to its artificial cultivation, and its 

 behaviour when experimentally transmitted to man or animals. 



With reference to the first point, the only positive and unob- 

 jectionable results appear to have been obtained by G. Bordoni- 

 Ufi'reduzzi,* who cultivated the bacilli in question from the marrow 

 of an individual who had died from leprosy. Any attempts made 

 by him to cultivate the micro-organism from the skin, spleen, liver 

 and lymphatics of the dead subject, failed. 



Some cultivation-experiments, which I undertook with material 

 from living lepers, yielded negative results. For that purpose, I 

 visited on two occasions the Asylum associated with the Coast 

 Hospital at Little Bay, near Sydney, where at the time several 

 lepers were, with one exception (native of Java), all Chinamen. 



The material for experiment was derived from typical non- 

 ulcerating tubercles of the hand. In each case a suitable tubercle 

 was selected, and after having caused the man to wash his hand 

 thoroughly with soap and water, I applied for some minutes a 



* " Ueber die Cultur der Leprabacillen. " Von Dr. G. Bordoni-Uffreduzzi 

 ZeitschHft fiir Hygiene^ Britter Band^ Erstes Heft^ 1887, p. 178. 



