170 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [July 



A more extended examination of the deposit is liable to extend 

 the specific forms to about sixty species. 



The matron of the Mobile Protestant Orphan Asylum, Mobile, 

 Ala., has about 50 vials of washed diatoms for distribution. The 

 washing, which is very laborious, was done b}^ the boys under 

 direction of Dr. Taylor. We understand that any person de- 

 siring a vial can address the matron, sending such contribution to 

 the funds of the asylum as he deems the material to be worth to 

 him. We suggest that a dollar is not too much to enclose. 



BACTERIOLOGY. 



The Examination of Sputum for Tubercle-Bacilli. — In a 

 recent number* of the ^ledical Nczcs Dr. V. A. Moore has called 

 attention to the importance of making an examination of the 

 sputum for tubercle bacilli in the early stages of all lung disturb- 

 ances in which tuberculosis ma\- be suspected. The good results 

 that are being obtained in the treatment of tuberculosis when the 

 cases are taken in hand before any serious pathological changes 

 have taken place emphasizes the necessity of early sputum ex- 

 aminations as a means of diagnosis. In order to obviate the 

 difficulties usually met in discovering the tubercle-bacilli in cover- 

 glass preparations made directly from the crude sputum of 

 patients in the first stages of the disease a few methods that seem 

 not to be in general use are given. These, together with a method 

 of staining the tubercle-bacilli, are as follows : 



Biedert's Method. — The object of this method is to Jind the 

 tiibcrclc-bacilli rcJicn they are present in the spiitum in small 

 numbers. In 1S86, Biedert (i) called attention to the fact that 

 smearing the crude sputum on the cover-glass and staining the 

 same does not give accurate results, so far as detecting the number 



* May 14, 1892. 



I. Biedert, Ph.: Berl. klin. Wochenschrif:, i8S6, No. 42, p. 43. 



