86 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



(representing the first stage of pepton formation) but not the peptons. 

 Cholera bacillus liquefies gelatin but with formalin gives fixed gelatoses ; 

 the vibrios of Finckler, Prior, Deneke, and Metchinkoff, on the other 

 hand, liquefy gelatin which does not solidify with formalin, consequently 

 here exists an important aid in distinguishing closely allied vibrios. 

 Epidemiologically, however, this unfortunately is of little value, since 

 10-12 day old cultures are necessary, and the formalin must act for at 

 least as long a time. 



Revision of Coccaceae.* — C. E. A. Winslow and Anne F. Rogers 

 suggest the following classification : — 

 Family — Coccaceae 



Sub-Family — Paracoccaceae (new sub-family) 

 Genus 1 — Diplococcus 

 „ 2 — Streptococcus 

 Sub-Family — Metacoccaceas (new sub-family) 

 Genus 3 — Micrococcus 

 „ 4 — Sarcina 

 „ 5 — Ascococcus 



Classification of Dysentery Bacilli.| — H. Hiss divides the dysentery 

 bacilli into four groups, according to their fermenting actions : (1) 

 Bacillus of Shiga and Kruse ferments monosaccharides quickly and occa- 

 sionally maltose ; (2) bacillus y ferments monosaccharides and mannite 

 in 24 hours, and sometimes maltose ; (3) Strong's Philippine culture 

 easily ferments monosaccharides and mannite, comparatively quickly 

 saccharose, and gradually maltose ; (4) Flexner's Manila culture and 

 Duval's Baltimore culture, readily ferment all the above and dextrin. 

 Typhoid bacilli do not ferment saccharose, and further are motile and so 

 can be distinguished from (4). Classification is supported by the 

 agglutination reaction. The Shiga-Kruse bacillus possesses several well- 

 known and easily distinguished varieties, if not different species. 



Diagnostic and Prognostic Significance of Lochial Bacteria.:}: — 

 Leo Arnold's examination of lochia in 36 normal and 26 febrile puer- 

 peral women resulted in the following conclusions : 



1. Absence of streptococci excludes the most severe puerperal 

 affections, the fever arising from extragenital causes, e.g. retained 

 secretion, sapraemia, gonococcal infection, or more rarely coli, diphtheria, 

 or tetanus. 



2. Presence of streptococci, numerous and in long chains, more so in 

 the uterus than vagina, denote frequently severe infection : {a) chains of 

 four frequently occur in normal puerperal women ; (b) chains of more 

 than four cocci in vaginal lochia suggest infection and cause febrile or 

 subnormal temperature ; (c) chains of more than four cocci in uterine 

 lochia occur only in fever, though it is impossible to diagnose severity 

 from length of chains. 



3. The prognosis varies directly with the number of phagocytes. 



* Technology Quarterly, xviii. (1905) pp. 240-6. 



t Joum. of Med. Research, xiii. (Dec. 1904). See also Centralbl. Bakt., l*e Abt., 

 xxxvii. (1905) p. 273. 



J Munch. Mediz. Wochenschr., 1904, No. 48. See also Centralbl. Bakt., lte Abt. 

 Ref., xxxvii. (1905) pp. 274-5. 



