1894.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 19 



are of a greenish color, and often in large quantities 

 have a yellowish tinge. 



They are found in the stomach under normal condi- 

 tions, but not so frequently as in disease, being most 

 common in dilatation of this organ and in pyrosis, a form 

 of dyspepsia characterized by acid fermentation and 

 eructations of small portions of the contents of the stom- 

 ach. They are also present in catarrhal conditions of 

 this organ and chronic gastritis of long standing. 



In pyrosis the fluid containing sarcina is often ejected 

 from the moUth, and when existing in the fluids of the 

 stomach they may be present in the saliva of the same 

 subject (Budd). 



The writer has observed this ejection of the fluids of 

 the stomach, acid eructations, in a case of pyrosis exist- 

 only during periods of excessive indulgence in alcoholic 

 liquors. Beale concludes that they are distinct from all 

 other fungi, and in all cases coming under his observa- 

 tion the fluids containing them were distinctly acid. 



Aitken asserts that pyrosis is frequent in Ireland and 

 Scotland, and Linneus writes that one-half the inhabi- 

 tants of Sweden are subject to it, a result of the large 

 quantity of liquor drank in those countries. 



The writer was summoned, as an expert, to examine 

 the blood stains upon clothing of a man accused of mur- 

 der. Those stains proved consistent with human blood, 

 and not (as claimed) with the blood of a calf. There was 

 also found imbeded in a clot the bulb and a small part 

 of the shaft of a gray hair, the color of which corres- 

 ponded with that of the murdered man. There were 

 found also in these stains large numbers of the sarcina 

 ventriculi, which the writer regards as tending to prove 

 the identity of the blood. 



It was proven that the murdered man was an habitual 

 consumer of large quantities of acid wine, and had been 

 for many years. The old man was murdered by having 



