The Miceoscope. 87 



A flagellate form pigmented was seen in but six cases. The 

 movement of the flaggellum is veiy active so that it brushes away the 

 red corpuscles within its reach. 



These organisms are considered to be parasitic and belong to 

 the flagellate infusoi'ia. It is found not only during the fever but 

 in the intervals {Amer. Practitioner and Neivs). Its presence* may 

 be detected in severe cases, where peculiar cachexias may suggest 

 malignant growths and the differential diagnosis completed and the 

 proper treatment instituted which may be for the saving of the patient. 



Malignant Bacterial Endocarditis. — Bacteria are frequent in a 

 certain proportion of cases of acute ulcerative endocarditis in the 

 cardiac, and, when these exist, in the peripheral lesions. These bacteria 

 are small and of spheroidal form in almost all of the cases thus far de- 

 scribed ; but in a few cases the presence of bacilli has been noted. 

 These are cases of ulcerative endocarditis with extensive destruction 

 of tissue and large formation of thrombi, in which the lesions are 

 entirely free from bacteria. In these cases, as a rule, the endocar- 

 dium is the seat of an old inflammatory process, and the peripheral 

 embolisms, infarctions, etc., do not contain bacteria. The destructive 

 process and formation of thrombi in the heart-valve and endocardium 

 may be as marked and extensive in the cases in which the bacteria 

 are absent as in those in which they are present ; but in the latter 

 class of cases the embolic lesions, which are apt to be developed, are 

 of an infectious nature, and the general course of the disease is apt 

 to bear the stamp of an acute, infectious disorder. The two classes 

 of cases may be appropriately designated as ulcerative or acute ulcer- 

 ative endocarditis, but those in which the bacteria are present should 

 be distinguished by the term malignant bacterial or mycotic ulcerative 

 endocarditis. — Dr. T. Mitchell Prudden, in Am. Jour. Med. Science. 



Movement of Water in Wood. — Herr M. Scheit propounds the 

 theory that, in addition to the ordinary movement of water in wood, 

 there is also a movement of water in the gaseous form — a movement 

 of distillation. The former he regards as being occasioned exclusively 

 by root-pressure. The distillation movement begins as soon as the 

 cavities of the cells and vessels are no longer completely filled with 

 water, and it can only take place when the temperature of the plant 

 decreases upwards, which may result fi'om the low conducting powers 

 of the wood and soil connected with the loss of heat occasioned by 

 transpiration. The vessels are the chief channels of the distillation 

 movement, while the tracheids serve especially for the condensation 



