ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 357 



the growth and virulence of the cultures, but produces morphological 

 modifications, the rods becoming longer and in many cases curved ; and 

 that further increased doses have a true bactericidal action. 



Bacterial Research on Gorgonzola Cheese.* — C. Gorini finds that 

 the green and red patches seen in Gorgonzola cheese are due to the 

 growth of a Hyphomycete belonging to the genus Penicillium and to a 

 bacillus probably identical with B. lactis erythroyenes Hueppe. These 

 organisms are introduced into the interior of the cheese as a result of 

 artificial punctures, by means of which the manufacturer finds he is able 

 to produce these characteristic marks. 



Cultures of Bacillus typhosus, Bacillus coli, and some other 

 allied bacteria on Drigalski-Conradi medium.f — Vourloud finds, from 

 observations on the cultivation of various organisms on this medium, 

 that B. typhosus forms round translucent blue colonies, the medium 

 becoming greenish blue ; with B. typhi murium the effect is similar, but 

 the colonies are opaque ; B. coli forms round red colonies, the medium 

 being yellowish red ; B. dysenter'm (Shiga Kruse) forms small round 

 colourless colonies, and the medium is uncoloured ; B. pestis forms fine 

 striated red colonies, the medium being yellowish-red; B. pseudo- 

 tuberculosis rodentium forms round opaque colourless colonies, the 

 medium being greenish blue ; B. pseudo-pestis forms diffuse opaque 

 colourless colonies, the medium being greenish blue. 



Bacillus of " La Graisse," Disease of Wine.} — E. Kayser and 

 E. Manceau have isolated from three different kinds of ropy wine, 

 a bacillus which forms chains of 2-8 links, 0*7 to ' 9 /x in breadth. 

 The shape varies, however, with the medium ; the growth ends by 

 forming a sticky mass at the bottom of the liquid. It is an anaerobe, 

 with an optimum temperature of about 30°. It requires sugar, parti- 

 cularly levulose, for its development, but other important factors are the 

 presence of free acid, alcohol, nitrogenous organic substances, and 

 potash salts. 



Toxin and Antitoxin of Cholera.§ — Brau and Denier find that 

 cholera toxin when injected subcutaneously and intravenously imparts 

 an immunity, the serum of the vaccinated animals acquiring an anti- 

 toxic power. A still more powerful serum is obtained by means of 

 intravenous injection of living cultures. The authors conclude that 

 there is a close similarity between the cholera toxin, formed in albu- 

 minous media, and those of plague and typhoid, and express the opinion 

 that no distinction can be drawn between the toxin existing within the 

 body of the microbes and that in the culture medium. 



^.Bacteria of Mosca olearia.|| — L. Petri, from some further researches 

 on Ascobacterium luteum,% finds that the bacteria are not entirely 

 expelled from the intestine of the larva, but remain in an oesophageal 



* Atti R. Accad. Lincei, xv. (1906) p. 298. 



+ Centralbl. Bakt., 1* Abt. Orig,. xl. (1906) p. 754. 



t Comptes Rendus, cxlii. (1906) pp. 725-7. § Tom. cit., pp. 728-9.' 



|| Atti R. Accad. Lincei, xv. (1906) pp. 238-46 (2 figs.). 



«|f See this Journal, 1905, p. 483. 



