1020 KECOED OF CUERENT EESEARCHES EELATING TO 



Bacteria in Ear-disease, &c.* — M. B, Loewenberg has discovered 

 in abscesses of the auditory meatus the same microscopic orgauism 

 (micrococcus) found by M. Pasteur in surface-boils. He regards the 

 multiplication of boils on any individuals to be due to what he calls 

 " auto-contagion," or the spread of matter from an open boil over 

 other parts of the body, conveying its microbia with it, to deposit 

 them in other follicles of the skin, and there set up fresh irritation ; 

 and, this granted, the spread of the affection to other individuals is 

 seen to be a probable occurrence. 



The treatment of this disease of the ear is that of cutting through 

 the abscess and then bathing the place with solutions of thymic or 

 boric acid, or sprinkling it with the latter acid finely powdered. In 

 the case of general furnnculosis, lotions of boric acid solution applied 

 to the whole body have been found to prevent the formation of new 

 boils in the single instance in which the experiment was made. 

 With regard to other diseases of the ear, the micrococcus is found in 

 great abundance in cases of otorrhoea where the ear has not been 

 properly cleansed, especially where a fetid condition has arisen. In 

 the employment of emollients, such as poultices, in these cases, the 

 debris cast off is found to be surrounded by a coat of the micrococcus; 

 boils are often noticed after a long-continued use of these applications, 

 and so they may perhaps act deleteriously by developing the parasite. 



" Hysterophymes " of Starch and Fat.f — H. Karsten discusses 

 the chemical composition of Torula, Bacteria, Vibriones, and the other 

 inciters of putrefaction and fermentation, which he does not regard as 

 specific organisms, but as pathological forms of cells, terming them 

 " Amyloid- und Fett-hysterophymen." Their formation depends, 

 according to him, on the presence of a definite organic substance, 

 soluble in water, together with phosphoric acid and its salts, and of a 

 deficiency of nutrient salts in the superficial layer. The addition of 

 sugar to a butyric nutrient fluid causes the Vihriones, Bacteria, Micro- 

 cocci, and Dicocci, to develop into Torula-cells. 



Carpozyma, the Ferment of Wine.;]: — In the recently published 

 second volume of his great work on viticulture, M, Ladrey describes 

 the various ferments associated with the fermentation of beer and 

 wine, enumerating the various species of Saccharomyces established by 

 Eeess. 



In addition to these, he describes another alcoholic ferment which, 

 according to Engel, does not belong to that genus, but is a Protomyces 

 without mycelium, and is called by him Carpozyma. Engel affirms 

 that all fermentations of the must of fruits are caused by the growth 

 of a ferment, the mature cells of which are ellipsoidal in form, about 

 6 ^ in length and 3 /a in breadth, the two ends having each a small 

 protuberance or apiculus, which gives to the whole the form of a 

 citron. When vegetating in a fermenting fluid, the young cells 



* ' Comptes Rendus,' xci. (ISSO) p. 555. 



t 'Zeitsclir. AUgem. oesterr. Apotheker-Verein,' 18S0. See ' Bot. Centralbl.,' 

 i. (1S80) p. 596. 



+ Ladrey, C, ' Traite' de viticulture et d'oenologie,' 2">" ed., toine ii. Paris, 

 1S80. See ' Bot. Centralbl.,' i. (1880) p. 718. 



