254 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [July 



lar fever. This .statement is supported from microscopi- 

 cal as well as clinical observation. 



Avian Tuberculosis. — According- to the Revue Veterin- 

 aire, MM. Cadiot, Gilbert, and Rogers conclude from 

 their researches that the bacillus of avian tuberculosis and 

 that of mammals are two varieties of the same species. It 

 is possible to transform one into the other. Avian tuber- 

 culosis is easily inoculated into the rabbit, but not so 

 readily into the g"uinea pig". After having been grown in 

 mammals, it may become very active for the g^uinea pig", at 

 the same time loseing some of its pathogenic powers for 

 the birds. 



Products of Pneumobacillus of Friedlander.— The pro- 

 ducts of this organism according to Grimbert are ethyl- 

 alcohol, acetic acid, laevolactic acid, and succinic acid. In 

 glucose, g-alactose, arabinose, mannite, and g-lycerine this 

 organism produces laveolactic acid, while saccharose, lac- 

 tose, and maltose g^ive both succinic acid and laevolactic 

 acid. In dulcite, dextrin and potato it produces only suc- 

 cinic acid. — Ann. Institute Pasteur. 



Bacteriology of Air Passages. — In an article read before 

 the Academy of Medicine, April 7th, by Dr. W. H. Thom- 

 son, he quotes from Dr. St. Clair Thomson and Dr. R. T. 

 Hewlett, of the Bacteriology Department of the British In- 

 stitute of Preventive Medicine, to the section on pathology 

 at the last annual meeting of the British Medical Associa- 

 tion, which led to special research as to the fate of micro- 

 org-anisms in inspired air. They calculate that the lowest 

 estimate of org-anisms inhaled every hour would be fifteen 

 hundred, but in London atmosphere it must be common 

 for fourteen thousand org-anisms to pass into the nasal cav- 

 ities during one hour's tranquil breathing-. Beginning- 

 with the trachea, they found that the mucus derived from 

 the trachea of all animals recently killed in the laboratory 

 was always sterile. The mucus membrane of a healthy 

 nose only exceptionally shows any micro-org-anisms what- 

 ever. The interior of the great majority of normal nasal 

 cavities is perfectly aseptic. The vestibule of the nares, 



