186 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[May 



I 



g"ave a preliminary report on the fate of micro-org-anismsin 

 inspired air. The following- experiment shows that cer- 

 tain bacteria deposited on the Schneiderian membrane are 

 rapidly removed: Cultures were prepared from the vib- 

 rissae and mucous lining- of the nose. No red g^rowth 

 developed, so the bacillus prodig-iosus was absent. A 

 looped needleful of a pure culture of the bacillus prodig-i- 

 osus was then deposited on a spot on the septum, and cul- 

 tures were made from this spot and its neighborhood at 

 intervals up to two hours. H^he cultures g-ave a g-radually 

 diminishing number of the bacilli, until after eig-hty 

 minutes fretjucntly no g-rowth occurred, while after two 

 hours no trace of the bacillusprodigiosuscould bedetected. 

 The authors state that their recent experiments show that 

 nearly all the organismsin inspired airare arrested before 

 reaching^ the naso-pharynx. — Medicine. 



Diphtheria Antitoxin in France. — Henri Monod states 

 that during- the first six months the diminution of death 

 rate was 65. 6 per cent in 108 cities in France, having- a pop- 

 ulation of over 20,000. From 1884-18*M, the average num- 

 ber of deaths was 2,627 (La France Medicale, 12-20-95.) 

 Dr. P. Palet from his observations in diphtheritic wards in 

 Lyons, also finds that it has notably lessened the number 

 of deaths. Its action is more prompt when treatment is 

 commenced at the beg^inning. As a prophylaxis it has 

 been made in doses of from 1 to 2 cc; it causes no inconven- 

 ience except the temporary eruption (I.e. 1-24-96.) 



Antifebrile Reaction of Tuberculin. — Dr. Lussen as a 

 result of some tuberculin tests, thinks that this ag-ent has 

 an antifebrile action in cases where there is febrile condition 

 without the presence of tuberculosis, and further a sed- 

 ative action upon the lung-s. The substance is perfectly 

 harmless unless tuberculosis is present. (The Journal of 

 Comparative Medicine and Veterinary Archives, XVII, 

 299.) 



Micrococcus Lanceolatus. — Divers org-anisms are as- 

 sociated with pus formation. This org-anism ranks third 

 in the production of human inflammations, osteomylitis, pe- 



