70 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Feb. 



pectively from infusions of lucerne and from white mus- 

 tard, their cultivation being- carried on throug-h several 

 g-enerations. On the lucerne gelatine the bacteria flour- 

 ished abundantly up to the last; on the mustard gelatine 

 they gradually faded away. It was tried if these lucerne- 

 nodule-bacteria could be induced to thrive on the mustard 

 medium by gradual training, and in the course of six 

 months that was accomplished. — English Mechanic. 



ttEDICAL MICROSCOPY. 



Test for Typhoid Fever. — William Trelease, Recording 

 Secretary of the Academy sent to Science the following ac- 

 count of the meeting January 4, 18*)7: Dr. Amand Ravold 

 gave a microscopic demonstration of Widal'stest for typh- 

 oid fever, demonstrating that after the disease has existed 

 for four davsor more the blood of tvphoid patients, probably 

 because of some contained anti-toxine, possesses the ])ower 

 of inhibiting the motion of typhoid bacilli from a i)ure cul- 

 ture introduced into it within a period of one hour or less, 

 whereas in normal blood similar bacilli retain their power 

 of locomotion for an indefinite length of time. It was 

 stated that typhoid blood possesses this property even af- 

 ter having been dried for a period of four weeks or more, 

 so that a few drops obtained from a person suspected of 

 having the disease mav be sent to suitable places for ap- 

 ])lying the test, thus rendering comparatively easy the 

 early diagnosis of a disease which in its early stages pre- 

 sents many clinical difl&culties. 



PERSONALS. 



We learn through the newspapers that on December 26, 

 the remains of Prof. Louis Pasteur, the eminent bacteri- 

 olog-ist, who died September 28, IS'tS, were removed from 

 the Cathedral of Norte-Dame to the Institute, where they 

 were received by a gathering of distinguished men, includ- 

 ing Premier Meline, MM. Rambaud and Brisson and sev- 



