330 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Oct. 



depth of coloring- varying with the leng-th of time of stain- 

 ing, the thickness of the veins, etc. -Science-Gossip, 



BACTERIOLOGY. 



Anthrax Bacteria in Hides from China. — During the 

 early part of August four deaths occurred among the 

 employes of the Falls Creek tannery near Dubois, Pa., 

 and several cases of severe illness have been reported. 

 Some time ago the tannery company received an invoice 

 of 100,000 hides imported from China. During the pro- 

 cess of tanning- the liquors drained into the creek. Not 

 long afterwards several head of cattle running at large 

 died. It was discovered that the cattle drank water from 

 the creek. Shortly afterwards several employes were 

 taken sick and in some cases death resulted. 



Investigation revealed the fact that the hides were infec- 

 ted with anthrax bacteria. Considerable alarm was 

 caused at Falls Creek over the fatal effects and possible 

 spread of the disease as it proves fatal in from five to 

 eight days, and of the men affected only one has so far 

 recovered. 



The matter has been kept as secret as possible, but it 

 is understood that the matter has been reported to the 

 State boardof health and an investigation will be instituted. 



Pathogenic Organisms and Living Plant Tissues. — Sev- 

 eral years ago Dr. H. L. Kussel published an interesting 

 paper on "Bacteria in their Relation to Vegetable Tissue" 

 in which it was demonstrated that some of the forms 

 adapted to a saprophytic mode of life may live for consider- 

 able periods of time in living plants, but few of the facul- 

 tative parasites were able to thus live. Bacillus pyocyaneus 

 oval schweine senche bacillus did so for some time. These 

 micro-organisms were usually found intracellular. Dr. 

 Karl Kornanter, who has recently investigated this ques- 

 tion, makes no reference to this excellent paper. Kornan- 

 ter worked with pathogenic and saprophytic species. In 

 the case of anthrax bacillus and Streptococcus pyogenes 

 the germs did not penetrate the tissues of corn or pea, in 



