1897] MICROSCOPICAL .TOUKNAL. 135 



upon these jjoiiits, I should be disposed to conclude that 

 external leprosy inoculation means tubercular leprosy, 

 and internal inoculation anesthetic leprosy." 



Medico-legal Importance of the Excrements. Prof. 

 Moeller has an article in the IVein. klin. Rundcliau of March 

 14 calling- attention to the value of the testimony afforded 

 in criminal proceeding's by microscopic examination of the 

 dejecta. He sug-g-ests that criminals arrested on suspic- 

 i(ui should l)e interrog-ated as to what and where they had 

 eaten recently, and the feces will contirm the truth of their 

 assertions or the reverse, disprove an alibi, etc. He 

 mentions two separate instances where the criminals 

 were traced and broug-ht to justice by casual discovery of 

 lig- seeds in their excreta, and adds that the microscope 

 should i)e used more frequently than at present in crim- 

 inal oroceedinLfs. 



BACTERIOLOGY. 



The Saliva a Microbe Killer. — It has long- been known 

 that secretions of the mucous membranes, especially saliva 

 possess antiseptic properties under certain circumstances, 

 which explains the reason why the g-erms which enter 

 daily and hourly throug-h the mouth do not reach a harm- 

 ful development; but Eding-er has now found the active 

 material in potassium rhodanate, which is present in saliva. 

 Potassium rhodanate is a compound of sulphur, cyanog-en, 

 and potassium, and is in larg-e quantities, narcotically 

 poisonous to uarm blooded animals; it is, like other rhod- 

 anates fatal to bacilli. It is said that quinolin rhodanate, 

 in a solati(jn of three parts to the thousand, will kill the 

 cholera bacillus in a minute, and in a solution of three times 

 this streng-th, will kill the diphtheria bacillus in the same 

 time. It was found i)v further researches that this rho- 

 danate has the effect of carbolic acid and of corrosive sub- 

 limate, and at the same time is harmless to man. 



Rhodanate is the same thing- as sulpho cyanate, a much 

 better word because it explains itself, and is not liable to 

 be confounded with the derivatives of \-\\k^(\.\\\vc\.— Popular 

 Science News. 



