404. C. CLIFFORD DOBELL. 



Butschli in sulphur Bacteria, in a large freshwater organism 

 Avhich he n ames A c h r o ni a t i u m o x a 1 i £ e r u m . This organism 

 resembles the sulphur Bacteria in general form, but contains 

 calcium oxalate — probably in combination with a carbohydrate 

 — instead of sulphur. There is a "central body " present, 

 containing colourable granules which undergo division. 



likewicz (1894), studying B. anthracis after flame-fixa- 

 tion and a complicated staining process, found darkly staining 

 bodies present, which he believed to be spore-rudiments. He 

 suggests that it is these structures which Sjcibring mistook 

 for nuclei. 



A. Fischer (1894) explains the protoplasmic differentiation 

 described by Biitschli as due to plasmolysis. In this, as in 

 subsequent memoirs (Fischer, 1897, 1899, 1903), he maintains 

 that a " central body " does not exist : that the granules are 

 probably reserve material, and neither nuclei nor chromatin : 

 and that no nucleus has been demonstrated in Bacteria. The 

 cell is not the equivalent of a nucleus. His conclusions are 

 based upon elaborate studies of fixation and staining methods. 

 It is hardly necessary to enter here into the polemics which 

 have taken place between Fischer and Butschli. 



Migula (1894), after a study of Bacillus oxalaticus, 

 reaches the conclusion that no "central body" is present in 

 this form. Colourable granules — insoluble in pepsin — are 

 present, but no definite interpretation of them is given. In a 

 subsequent work (Migula, 1897), after reviewing the literature 

 he concludes : " Ueber die Bedeutung der Kornchen in der 

 Baktei'ienzelle lassen sich nur sehr subjektive Vermutungen 

 hegen ; ich moclite sie als die ersten Anfange einer Zellkern- 

 bildung betrachten." More recently (Migula 1904), he ex- 

 presses the opinion that the existence of a nucleus is still an 

 •open question. 



That nuclear structures occur in many Bacteria is believed 

 by Lowit (1896). His conclusions are based, however, upon 

 dried preparations stained with Loflfler's flagellar stain. 



A. Meyer (1897), using various methods, found granules 

 which he interpreted as nuclei in B. asterosporus and B. 



