NOTES AND MEMORANDA. 163 



leucocytes, were sometimes closely pressed together, at other 

 times loosely attached to one another, but without any regu- 

 larity of arrangement. On the fourth day, however, there 

 was not only an increase in the size and number of the 

 granules, but they were distinctly arranged in groups of four, 

 after the manner of Sarcina, and showed also the character- 

 istic angular or quadrate form produced by mutual pressure. 

 After this no change occurred, except multiplication of the 

 elements, and a slight further increase in their size, which 

 only lasted over the fifth day. In about ten days the pre- 

 parations were spoilt. The only exception to the regularity of 

 this process was observed when the preparations were kept 

 in too cold a place. In this case the granules continued to 

 multiply very rapidly, but diminished in size, and showed no 

 kind of symmetrical arrangement : removal to a warmer 

 situation produced a rapid development of normal sarcina 

 forms. The Sarcinge thus obtained differed from the well- 

 known Sarcina in being smaller and united into far more 

 numerous groups ; also they were always quite colourless. 

 The size, however, and the colour approached those of the 

 normal fungus, when Pasteur's fluid was added to the blood, 

 in which the blood Sarcinae were developing. No appear- 

 ances were ever seen tending to show that Sarcinse existed in 

 the circulating or freshly drawn blood ; and, by a series of 

 controlling experiments, it was shown that albuminous solu- 

 tions, Pasteur's fluid, and other similar media, did not develop 

 Sarcinse under the same conditions as those under which 

 they appeared in blood. Lostorfer further explains, by the 

 supposition of Sarcina germs always existing in the blood, 

 the occurrence of the " fungus " itself in unusual situations 

 in the human body, such as the lungs, urine, &c., which has 

 been explained by supposing that it was conveyed from the 

 stomach. — (Stricker''s Medizinische Jahrhucher , 1872.) 



The constant occurrence of Sarcina Ventriculi (Goodsir) in 

 the Blood of Man and the Lower Animals. — Dr. Ferrier writes 

 on this subject, — The results of numerous experiments which 

 I have been making for a different purpose appear to me to 

 warrant the conclusion that organisms which develope into 

 such as have all the characters of sarcina ventriculi are a 

 constant, if we cannot call them a normal, occurrence, in the 

 blood of man and the lower animals ; and that the name 

 sarcina sanguinis would indicate more truly the natural seat 

 of the organisms. In reference to human blood, I find I 

 have been anticipated by Lostorfer (' Wien. Med. Jahrb.,' 

 1872), who by a different method has succeeded in developing 

 organisms like the sarcina ventriculi from the blood of several 



