756 RECORD OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Injection of 5 to 10 drops of tlie oedema fluid communicated tlic fatal 

 symptoms. 



6. Erj/sipelatous Process in Bahhits. — The ear was injected with 

 mouse's dung, softened in distilled water. The organ became red, 

 swollen, and flabby, and was found to contain large numbers of 

 bacilli 3 fxin length and • 3 ya in diameter. The author failed to 

 communicate the disease to other animals. 



After the description of these experiments, Koch devotes a few 

 pages to splenic fever, and then sums up his results, and discusses 

 their importance. For the first five cases there is complete, for 

 the sixth partial evidence of parasitic nature. Infection is pro- 

 duced by so small a quantity of fluid, that toxic efiects are quite 

 excluded. For each disease the bacterium-form is distinct and un- 

 changeable ; this is the most important result of all. The living body 

 is the best possible pure-culture apj)aratus. 



Some former writers have stated that the virulence of the poison 

 in these diseases increases constantly in successive generations ; Koch 

 considers that it increases iip to the second, or latest the third gene- 

 ration, and then remains constant. 



Nature of the Fur on the Tongue.* — The fur on the tongue is 

 generally stated to consist chiefly of epithelial cells usually sodden and 

 granular, though Eobiu, KuUiker, Billroth, and others have described 

 fimgi as existing in it or in the buccal mucus. 



According to Mr. H. T. Butlin, Schizomycetes form the essential 

 constituent of the fur. 



On 68 healthy tongues examined, fur was found on all except one ; 

 and on 178 tongues of persons sufi'ering from disease or accident, on 

 all except two. 



Microscopical examination of the results of scraping gave in 

 nearly every instance the same results : (1) Debris of food and bubbles 

 of mucus and saliva; (2) Epithelium; (3) Masses which appeared at 

 first to consist of granular matter, but which are the glcea of certain 

 forms of Schizomycetes. 



That the last-named of these three is the essential constituent is 

 proved by the fact that the quantity of the gloea depends roughly 

 upon the quantity of fur, and that its jiosition upon the tougue cor- 

 responds with that of the fur, both covering the tops of the filiform 

 papilla?, but not usually lying between them. 



In order to ascertain the true nature of the gloea, and to obtain it 

 in a purer form, it was cultivated upon a warm stage (30^-33° C). 

 Several fungi were discovered, but only two of these were present in 

 every instance, Micrococcus and Bacillus siihtiUs ; and, as the gloea 

 produced artificially was similar to that existing naturally in the 

 tongue-fur, it is believed that fur is composed essentially of these two 

 fungi. 3Iicrococciis developed abundantly and rapidly, forming large 

 masses of yellow or brownish-yellow colour. Bacillus did not deve- 

 lop, but existed in greater or less abundance in all the cases examined. 

 Its development was probably prevented by the presence of other 



* ' Proc. Eoy. Soc.,' xxviii. l'. 484. 



