14 KEVIKW — TROPICAL MEDICINE, ETC. 



Bacteriology seginentosns was preseat but its precise etiological significance in relation to the common 

 — ^-Dntintu-if cold has yet to be determined. The Micrococcus catarrhalis has more recently been the 

 subject of work by Arkwright,' whose conclusions arc as follows: — 



1. Qr.im-uegative cociii derived from the nose can be divided into several different races, which require 

 careful culture for their ideutilication. 



2. 3f. catarrhaUs is present very frequently in the normal nose, especially in the young and more 

 especially in infants. 



3. Its frequency does not appear to be greater in ordinary catarrhal states than in non-catarrhal. In 

 this respect it differs from the pncumococeus and Hoffmann's bacillus. 



It would, I think, be interesting if some work on this subject were carried out in 

 tropical countries. In the Sudan, at certain seasons of the year, the influenzal type of cold 

 is very common, the exciting causes being chill, and, to a lesser extent, the irritation 

 produced by dust. It is possible that diphtheroid organisms are not so prevalent as amongst 

 urban populations in temperate countries, and it might be possible to settle which is the 

 true organism of coryza more easily than in a place where micro-organisms abound and 

 conditions are more complicated. 



It is worth noting that spraying the floors of schoolrooms with weak formalin 

 solution has been found to inhibit the spread of infectious colds. 



Gwyn and Harris- have worked out a comparison between the results of blood cultures 

 taken during life and after death, a subject of very considerable importance. Their chief 

 conclusions are as follows : — 



1. That within certain limits post mortem bacteriological methods afford trustworthy means of 

 determining or confirming the presence of any of the well-known infectious processes. 



2. That the more often a marked ante mortem infection is present, the greater probability there is of 

 finding an uncomplicated post mortem bacteriological result, provided the investigation is carried on within a 

 reasonable time after death, say 12 hours. 



3. That a bacteroemia due to the common organisms of the intestinal tract and the so-called "agonal 

 invasions" of the blood streams do occur, yet they should not be assumed to be present with any great 

 degree of frequency. 



With regard to 2, one can say from the result of animal post mortems that the period 

 mentioned has to be greatly shortened for the Sudan. In the summer a period of four hours, 

 as a rule and under ordinary conditions, suffices for the occurrence of a general bacteriological 

 infection which is especially fatal to examinations having for their object the recovery of 

 hsematozoa from the blood and organs. 



But little is said in text-books regarding the important ultra-visible viruses which are 

 of special interest from the veterinary standpoint. A paper on this subject by Macfadyean' 

 is, therefore, likely to prove of great value. In the first instalment he deals with the 

 viruses of the mosaic or spotted disease of the tobacco plant, of foot and mouth disease, 

 and of African horse-sickness and also discusses the technique employed for the isolation 

 of the ultra-visible viruses. 



Beri-beri. The vexed question of the precise etiological factor determining this 

 disease still remains unsettled, and this despite a great deal of work by able observers. It 

 is impossible to detail at all fully the various researches and their results, but mention may 

 be made of the essay by Gerrard,^ which gives a very graphic description of the symptoms. 



He appends a table of types as follows : — 



W( 



et Dry Fulminating Mixed 



Spasmodic Eudimentary 



A useful list of the diseases from which beri-beri has to be distinguished is included. 

 These are alcoholic neuritis, arsenical neuritis, lead-poisoning, malarial cachexia, Landry's 



' Arkwright, J. A. (January, 1907), "On the occurrence of the Micrococcus catarrhaUs in normal and catarrhal 

 noses, and its differentiation from other Gram-negative cocci." Journal of Hygiene, p. 145, Vol. VII. 



= Gwyn, N. B., and Harris, N. MacL. (June, 190.5), " A Comp.^rison between the results of blood cultures 

 taken during life and after death." Journal of Infectious Diseases, p. 514. 



" Macfadyean, J. (March, 1908). "The Ultra-visible Viruses." Journal of Comparative Pathology and 

 Therapeutics, Vol. XXI., Part I. 



* Qerrard, P. N., " Beri-beri, its Symptoms and Symptomatic Treatment." London, Churchill. 



