360 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Oct. 



of nephritis. The urine should be more frequently exam- 

 ined, especially after sickness. 



BACTERIOLOGY. 



Black Death. — Kitasato has ascertained that the "black 

 death" is due to a bacillus which causes a septicaemia at- 

 tacking- the lymphatic system, the spleen, and mig-ht there- 

 fore easily be confounded with anthrax. The bacillus is 

 rounded at the ends, colors with the usual aniline dyes, 

 more deeply stains at the end than in the middle ; may be 

 found in the blood, occurs in man, mice, rats and swine, 

 and may be contracted by eating- the diseased flesh of such 

 animals. 



Excretion of Micro-Organism. — Biedl and R. Kruas 

 record their experiments into the excretion of micro-or- 

 g-anism by the glandular organs. Previously they have 

 shown that micro organisms present in the blood are ex- 

 creted by normal kidneys, the urine being free from al- 

 bumen or blood. They thus conclude that micro-organ- 

 isms can pass through healthy blood vessels. They have 

 now investigated the functions of the liver and submax- 

 illary gland in this respect, cultures of the staphylococcus 

 being injected into the blood. Almost all authors agree 

 that the liver can excrete micro-organisms, but no cer- 

 tainty exists as to the manner of the excretion. In the 

 first set of experiments the gall bladder was opened with 

 the usual precautions immediately after death. They 

 found negative results in two out of four experiments, but 

 this method is not adequate. In another series of experi- 

 ments the bile was inocculated directly into the nutrient 

 media, a cannula having been placed in the bile passages. 

 In the case of the submaxillary gland a cannual was placed 

 in the duct, and the same method followed. In all of the 

 three cases the staphylococcus was obtained from the bile, 

 but the results were always negative in five cases where 

 the submaxillary secretion was investigated. The micro- 

 organisms were shown to be cautiously excreted in the bile 



