1896.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 189 



In all of these feeds there was a notable increase in the 

 number of org"anisms. The animals fed with hay the num- 

 ber of B. subtilis colonies found varied from 1,800,000 

 to 7,200,000 per g-ram. The colon bacillus was always pres- 

 ent. The number of org-anisms found in excreta when 

 hay was fed varied from 20,()75,000~375,000,000. Grass 

 1,800,000—10,000,000. Sour potatoes 7,062,500—23,125,000. 

 What appeared to be Bacillus lactis aerog-enes in malt was 

 destroyed in the dig-estive tract. (Centralblatt f. Bakt. u 

 Parasitenk. II abth. 873.) 



MEDICAL MICROSCOPY. 



The Tuberculous Handkerchief. — Cornet it was who 

 first, in an effective way, broug-ht evidence of the g-reat part 

 which the sputum of the consumptive plays in spreading- 

 lung-tuberculosis, when the sputum is permitted to dry and 

 to become reduced to dust. He showed also how the con- 

 sumptive's handkerchief reinfects the patient himself and 

 endang-ers his associates. As Dr. Jaeg^er, of Stuttg^art, 

 says: 



"And now what is the further fate of this suspicious 

 article? As would be done with the clothing- of typhoid or 

 cholei'a patients, it is not put into a solution of carbolic acid, 

 but it is folded tog-ether and carefully kept until, after sev- 

 eral or many days' use, it becomes a cloacal miniature, a 

 nidus, of the most dang-erous of g-ems. Further, when it 

 is to be retired for a while, it is not disinfected, but the 

 careful housewife preserves the costly fabric, the precious 

 piece of embroidered linen, until — she counts the wash for 

 the laundry. The dried handkerchief is then torn open, a 

 cloud of dust is whirled into the air, and with the dust the 

 disease germs which bid defiance to drying-." 



The Microscope in Surgery. — Dr. Senn in a recent work 

 on tumors states that the microscope is not so serviceable 

 in diagnosing- tumors as many suppose, and cites as an in- 

 stance the late Emperor Frederick of Germany. Small 



