760 RECORD OP CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



duced but a small number of spermogonia. This sbows that although 

 the EoGstclia is strictly annual, the mycelium may retain its vitality 

 for a time in the tissue of the host. 



Neovossia, a New Genus of Ustilaginege* — Von Thiimen has de- 

 tected in the ovary of Molinia cmrulea — a grass on which no jiarasite 

 of the kind has hitherto been observed — an ustilagineous fungus, 

 which he makes the type of a new genus nearly allied to Tilletia, and 

 describes under the name Vossia MoIinitB (subsequently altered to 

 Neovossia, the former name having been already appropriated). 



The mycelium consists of slender hyaline hyphae, 4 to 5 mm. 

 thick, not distinct at the apex, but forming a pseudascus or gela- 

 tinous follicle subpersi stent around the mature sjiore, with a rather 

 long cormoid process ; the spores are dusky, and ellii)soidal or ovate. 

 The origin of the spores at the ends of the hyph?e, and their formation 

 in the gelatinous sac, are very characteristic, as well as the remain- 

 ing of the spores within this sac even when ripe ; while those of 

 Tilletia present at the same age no trace of the gelatinous layer 

 which previously enveloped them, but are perfectly free. 



Injection of Bacteria into the Blood without any Toxic Eflfects.t 



— Professor Livon states that he has injected into the femoral or 

 jugular veins of various dogs different liquids in a state of putrefaction- 

 bile, urine, e^c. — and containing a large quantity of Bacteria, without 

 any other result than a certain amount of lassitude ; the only change in 

 the blood was an augmentation in the number of the white corpuscles ; 

 autopsy revealed no lesions. We draw attention to these statements 

 chiefly because it does not seem to be as generally understood as it 

 should be, that ordinary atmosi^heric bacteria do not set up fer- 

 mentative changes in the liealthij living organism ; Bacillus will pro- 

 duce splenic fever in healthy organisms, but these forms require for 

 their perfect development free exposure to oxygen, which is very far 

 from being the case with Bacterium termo. 



Anthrax and its Cause.:}: — M. Paul Bert states that the blood of 

 animals suffering from anthrax (" charbon"), when submitted to great 

 pressure of oxygen, retains its mortal capabilities for ninety-nine hours, 

 but no " bacteria " were seen ; similar blood, treated with three to 

 four times its volume of strong alcohol, gave just the same results ; 

 and he concludes that the bacteria are neither the cause nor the 

 " necessary effect " of the disease, but that its virus is of the same 

 nature as that of cow-pox or of glanders. He further states that 

 the blood of the dog suffering from the disease is not poisonous to 

 another dog or to the guinea-pig. 



M. Leflaive, speaking at the same " seance," stated that he believed 

 he had shown that in the Herbivora the poison resulted in a general 

 affection of the whole system, while in man it only gave rise to a 

 local affection, the blood not containing the virus, and being therefore 

 incapable of propagating the disease. What obtains in man appears 

 also to M. Leflaive to obtain in the Carnivora ; in which case we get 



* 'OcstciT. Bot. Zcitsch.,' xxix. (1879) p. 18. 

 t ' CR. Soc. Biol.' for 1877 (187U), p. 355. % Ibid., pp. 10, 20. 



