104 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [.March 



nu'al coiisistiiiii" <>l l)i'c;i<l ami a ]»iii-ti(>n ol a luhoi'culous 

 luiiii. Durinij" the three days following, portions of fecal 

 mattoi" were collected and investij^ated, ])oth by the injec- 

 tion of animals and microsco])ical examination. Bacilli 

 were constantly found in the feces, and out of fifteen rab- 

 bits inoculated, twelve became tuberculous, showing that 

 the fecal matters of tuberculous cattle are as infectious in 

 character as the sputum of persons suffering from this 

 disease. 



Rapidlsolation of Bacillus Coli Communis. -Abba ^ives 

 a new method for ■'ra])id and certain isolation of bacillus 

 coli communis from water." He prepares the following- 

 culture medium: Lactose, 2<) g-.; dry peptone, 1(»() g-.; sf)d- 

 ium chloride. So g., and water, 1 liter. This may be solidi- 

 fied bv the addition of gelatin. Into a liter of suspected 

 water is placed 100 c. cm. of the previously sterilized cul- 

 ture medium; to this is added 0.5 c.cm, of a one per cent 

 alcoholic solution of phenol-])hthalim, and afterward a cold 

 saturated solution of sodium carbonate (usually 2 to 3 c. 

 cm. suffice 1 until the water becomes of a permanently 

 pinU color. This water is ])laced in five or six Krlen- 

 mever's flasks, and incubated at .^7 ])er cent C. At the 

 same time an agar ])late is poured, and is ])laceii in the in- 

 cubator alongwith the Krlenmeyer's flasks. If bacillus coli 

 were present in the water, after twelve, sixteen, or twenty- 

 four hours one or several or all of the flasks w ill then com- 

 ])letc decolorization of the contents. The agar plate is 

 inoculated from the surface of one of the colorless fluids; 

 this is again incubated, and in from eight to twelve hours 

 or less a number of colonic.-, will be visible (M1 the surface 

 of the agar. These colonies are examined under the mic- 

 roscope, and cultures made from the ones which uiost re- 

 semble those of the bacillus coli. Under these conditions 

 the bacillus coli rapidly gains the upper hand over most of 

 the other micro-organisms presi'Ut in the water. The 

 colonies on the agar plates are usually com])osed of bacil- 

 lus coli alone, and the flrst examination leads to their de- 

 tection, if present. 



