220 THE MICROSCOPE. 
different cultures, and I have never found a single appreciable 
constant feature of difference between them. There are, it is true, 
often differences in rapidity and vigor of growth on artificial culture 
media, as well as differences of virulence, as the result of inoculation 
of animals, between cultures derived from the different sources. But 
these differences are no more marked between cultures from 
erysipelas, phlegmon, and diphtheria than those often observed be- 
tween cultures derived from different cases of the same disease.— 
Prudden. 
Nicoxarer’s Teranic Bacrtius.—Kitasato,* of Tokio, Japan, 
after a series of experiments, has finally succeeded in 
obtaining pure cultures of Nicolaiers bacillus of tetanus. 
The tetanic bacillus is a true anerobic bacillus. K. found 
that a mixed culture which had been kept in a temperature of 
97° F. contained the most Nicolaiers bacilli. He therefore sub- 
jected it for some time to this temperature, and the culture being 
then in full development, he placed it in a water-bath at 176° F. 
This temperature kills all adventitious microbes, but allows the 
tetanic bacillus spore to live. After this partial sterilization the 
plate culture is maintained at a temperature of 64—-70° F., in an 
atmosphere of hydrogen. With the pure culture thus obtained K. 
was enabled to produce tetanus in rats, Guinea pigs, and mice. 
Nicolaiers bacillus resists heat very well, and must be exposed five 
minutes to a temperature of 212° F. to be killed. A most curious 
fact, however, is that the bacillus disappears very rapidly in the 
blood, apparently producing ptomanes,—but this remains to be 
demonstrated. 
Tue Ertotocy or Scarier Frver.t—Dr. Marié Raskin, of St. 
Petersburg, who has investigated the subject, finds that Klein’s 
micrococcos scarletinze is a streptococcos identical with the S. 
pyogenes. Edington’s bacillus was found in only four case out of 
one hundred. A new and hitherto undescribed micrococcus, having 
an irregular form and varying in size, was found, however, in every 
case. This micrococcus grew well in culture of agar or gelatin. 
Whenever it appeared in pairs one was always larger than the 
other. The organism was found in the blood, parenchymatous 
organs and in flakes of the patient’s skin. It was only found in the 
blood during the first four days of the disease, and was always en. 
closed in the leucocytes. 
*Philadelphia Medical News, June 22, 1888. 
+ centralblt, f. Bakt, a. Parasitk, May 10, 1889. 
