xVND CONTENTS OF THE MOUTH. 77 



of interrogation, taken from pulmonitic sputum. These bacilli are 

 not uncommon in the pati?ta den/aria. They have quick vital 

 movements. They resemble the Spirillu77i sputigenum of Miller, 

 or the Comma bacillus of the saliva described by Lewis, as 

 identical with the cholera bacillus of Koch, Bacillus virgolar 



I have, however, found that, between these bacilli and the 

 lesser points, which are abundant on certain filaments of Lep- 

 tothrix, there exists a great similarity. These points vary in size, 

 but all possess quick movements (Fig. 14). We shall consider 

 later on if these bacilli act like the reproductory filaments (sper- 

 matia or antherozoids) of many cryptogams, although in Leptothrix 

 they are not originally contained in special receptacles (spermo- 

 gones or antherids). 



In a more advanced hypothesis, we shall have also to consider 

 if these bacilli represent the spirilli, or if the spirilli proceed from 

 such filaments, endowed with the same motile power. It appears 

 more probable that the spirilli may generally be derived from the 

 fragments of certain curved filaments, fertile or not, of Leptothrix. 

 Sometimes the spirillum is thicker than the filaments of Leptothrix^ 

 as in Fig. i of Cornil and Babes. t 



In // is seen a larger filament (stained with iodine), found in 

 \ht pati7ia de?itaria, which is somewhat similar to spermatozoa. 



In the uncoloured preparations I have seen the very rapid 

 movements of all these bacilli. In conclusion, all these forms of 

 bacilli are common in the expectorations and contents of the 

 mouth. 



§ 11. 

 SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVESTIGATIONS AND 



METHODS OF WORKING. 



Argument. 

 In the fourth section of my Memoir on Whooping-cough, I 

 stated that bacteriological researches on the sputa would be fruit- 



* Lewis, A Memorandum on the Comjna-shaped Bacillus^ etc, 



t Cornil and Babes, op. cit. — Vicentini, "Sopra un caso di febbre ricorrente 

 ecc. e sul riscontro degli Spirilli nel Sangue," Atti del. R. Accad. Med. Chir. 

 di Napoli, 1883, t. xxxvi. 



