XVI HY .1. THOMSON, M.B. 



grown in India, was laid between blotting paper, and 'in 

 this state sent to Germany in a letter. This letter on its way 

 was subjected to all the measures employed by the sanitary 

 police of the different countries through which it passed for 

 disinfecting the mails coming from cholera districts. It was 

 perforated and fumigated with chlorine and sulphur according 

 to the postal regulations, but the first experiments made at the 

 Imperial Health Office in Berlin, at once showed that the vitality 

 of the bacteria had suffered no harm whatever from all these 

 operations. — Fraknkel. 



A somewhat remarkable organism is the Bacillmt Fiifuruns, ^^ 

 so named from the extraordinary twists and convolutions, which, 

 on plate cultivations, give rise to fantastic ffgures and patterns; 

 these shapes <5^' are all built up of definitely arranged parallel 

 rods with all the regularity of bonded brickwork, in which, how- 

 ever, all the bricks are stii'trhfis. 



Pigment formation seems to depend — 



1. On the nature and consistence of the medium — preferably 



a solid one. 



2. On the presence of air and oxygen — preferably both, 

 8. On the temperature — warmth dispels colour. 



4, On the activity of light. Sunlight may prevent or 

 bleach. 



PhOTOGENETIC, or the OR(iAXISMS WHICH GH'E RISE TO PHOS- 

 PHORESCENCE. — On a dark night it is possible to read one's watch 

 by the light of the waters as the boat and her impelling oars stir 

 them up to glint and glow with phosphorescent pallor. This 

 luminosity is produced by some half-dozen light producing 

 bacteria. Lite PJidto-Jincteriuxi PhosphoresifHK — Flu)j<ieri — 

 Fischeii — Bidticnui — buUvuin — (luit Luinvioxiim. But not 

 alone water, meat and fish, while decomposing, may also phos- 

 phoresce, and the effect is said to be due to active oxidation. 



Benign, Useful or Friendly Bacteria. — It is rather 

 unfortunate that the public should associate bacteria with 

 disease — in fact, view them as synonymous terms. There 

 may be some reason, for undoubtedly the practitioner with 

 his everlasting quest for the germ-proof of his patient's indis- 

 position is largely responsible for this limited and partially 

 erroneous belief. 



That we have foes — foes treacherous and implacable — 

 amongst these tiny organisms is certain ; but we have also friends, 

 trusty and reliable, humble, perhaps, and unobstrusive, but per- 

 severingly working together for our general welfare. To the 



