v.] VARIOUS SPECIES OF COMMA-BACILLI. 91 



strength. The appearance of a series of gelatine-tubes 

 inoculated by means of the platinum wire or capillary 

 glass pipette with Finkler's comma-bacillus, and of another 

 series of similar tubes inoculated in the same manner with 

 choleraic comma-bacilli and kept at 20 C. from three to 

 four days, leaves no doubt that they contain two different 

 species. While the cultures of the choleraic comma-bacilli 

 are only in their early stage, showing the channel of inocu- 

 lation as a thin greyish line of liquefied gelatine with a trace 

 of whitish precipitate at the bottom, and a distinct funnel- 



c 



'/ ., 

 !, * 



'ff : 



Fib. 30. COVER-GLASS SPECIMEN OF MVCUS-FLAKES FROM A MONKEY SUFFERING 



FROM DlARRH<EA. 



i. Straight bacilli containing bright oval spores. 

 Magnifying power about 600. 



shaped depression of the surface with an occluding air- 

 bubble, those of Finkler's comma-bacillus show a broad 

 conical growth ; the liquefied gelatine occupying almost 

 one-third of the breadth of the tube, and being uniformly 

 turbid. In the earlier stages, say after thirty to sixty hours, 

 the surface shows the funnel-shaped depression as well as 

 the air-bubble, but after three days as a general rule the 

 liquefaction has so far progressed that of the funnel-shaped 

 depression and occluding air-bubble little is left. 



A curious fact which I have repeatedly observed is 



