92 THE BACTERIA IN ASIATIC CHOLERA. [CH. 



this : if, instead of 10 per cent, gelatine, nutritive gelatine 

 of the strength of 3 to 6 per cent, is substituted, the 

 mode and rapidity of growth of the two kinds of comma- 

 bacilli are indistinguishable, and it seems to me probable 

 that Finkler and Prior's statement that the two kinds of 

 comma-bacilli do not differ in their mode and rapidity of 

 growth in nutritive gelatine must be due to their having used 

 gelatine of less strength than 10 per cent. I am quite sure 

 that Koch is right in saying that as a general rule 10 per cent, 

 nutritive gelatine shows the well-marked differences men- 

 tioned above. But I do not think Koch is right when he 

 says that while the growth in tubes of choleraic comma-bacilli 

 possesses an aromatic smell, those of Finkler's have a putrid 

 smell ; for there is little difference noticeable in this respect 

 between the two, except that in the latter there is certainly 

 not that distinct aromatic smell as in the former. 



The question whether Finkler's comma-bacilli stand in 

 any definite relation to cholera nostras, as is maintained by 

 Finkler and Prior, 1 has been definitely set at rest by the fol- 

 lowing considerations : (i) The observations made by Koch 

 and Frank have failed to demonstrate the presence of these 

 comma-bacilli in typical cases of cholera nostras, therefore 

 their number cannot at all events be remarkably great in 

 this malady; (2) Dr. Miller of Berlin has proved by cul- 

 tivation that comma-bacilli apparently identical with those 

 of Finkler and Prior occur in the mouth in connection with 

 caries of the teeth; 2 (3) Kuisl succeeded in isolating by 

 cultivation from normal human faecal matter comma-bacilli 

 which morphologically and in culture are identical with 

 Finkler and Prior's comma-bacilli. 8 



1 Ergiinztmgshefte zum Centralblatte f. alJgem. Gesundheitspflcge, vol. 

 i. parts 5 and 6. 



- These bacilli of Miller are however not considered quite identical 

 with Finkler's. 3 Aerzll. Intdligenzblatt, 36 and 37, 1885. 



