NATURE 



97 



THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 1898. 



S YSTEMA TIC BACTERIOLOG V. 

 System der Bakterien. Handbtich der Morphohi^ie, 

 Eniwickelungsgeschichte und Systeinatik der Bakterien. 

 AUgemeiner Theil. By W. Migula. Vol. i. Pp. 368 ; 

 6 plates. (Jena : Gustav Fischer, 1897.) 



APPLIED or technical bacteriology in recent years 

 has developed so rapidly, that in the rush after 

 new discoveries the study of systematic bacteriology has 

 been almost entirely neglected. With the introduction of 

 Koch's methods the separation of bacteria was made an 

 easy matter, and when it became evident that a large 

 number of pathological lesions are caused by micro- 

 organisms, bacteriology was introduced into the medical 

 laboratories, and undoubtedly the pathological bacterio- 

 logist has greatly advanced our knowledge of the action 

 of bacteria in health and in disease. Until Pasteur ap- 

 peared, those lowly organisms had been unobtrusively 

 studied in botanical laboratories, but the discoveries of 

 this immortal genius revealed to all how great a share 

 the bacteria have in the preservation of health and the 

 causation of disease, in the sorrows and pleasures of life. 

 Discovery after discovery in the causation of disease has 

 led to triumph after triumph in prevention and cure ; the 

 study of fermentation has led to the perfection of im- 

 portant industries, and even now an appeal is made to 

 the bacteria to keep our surroundings in a good sanitary 

 condition. Bacteriology was so keenly studied by 

 medical men that at one time there was almost a danger 

 lest all micro-organisms were regarded as our foes, and 

 yet their friendly acts greatly outweigh the harm that 

 they do to us. Now, however, this is fully recognised, 

 and just as atone time disease-producing bacteria were 

 searched for, so at present the tendency is to seek after 

 useful micro-organisms and to sing their praises. In this 

 country, as usual, we are slow to encourage the study of 

 applied bacteriology ; in our midst it is yet fighting its 

 way into medicine, and there is still an appalling ignorance 

 of bacteriology even amongst the youngest physicians 

 and surgeons ; the British brewers are just beginning to 

 see what Denmark and Germany saw years ago, and 

 in agriculture we pin our faith on lectures and feeble 

 examinations instead of opening research laboratories 

 for the study of bacteriology as applied to the dairy and 

 the soil. However, the records of other countries show 

 us what practical bacteriology has achieved in a short 

 time. 



The never-ceasing discovery of new bacterial forms 

 by men who have no knowledge or sympathy with 

 systematic botany has led to serious confusion, especially 

 in medical circles. It is their practice to describe an 

 organism, at once to give it a name, often derived 

 from the lesion it produces, and to claim for it a 

 specific place in nature, without attempting to define 

 its proper position in a systematic classification. The 

 confusion about the choleraic vibrio is not yet entirely 

 cleared away ; thirty and more varieties have been 

 described as different species, and now in the case 

 of the diphtheria bacillus the number of pseudo- 

 forms increases rapidly. The medical bacteriologist is 

 NO. 1492, VOL. 58] 



too much influenced by simple staining reactions, and 

 morphological appearances or biological and chemical 

 phenomena, and he distinguishes species by most in- 

 adequate tests. It is therefore a matter of congratulation 

 to be able to welcome two works on bacteriology, 

 founded upon botanical principles, such as Prof. Migula 

 and Prof. A. Fischer have offered. Here we shall speak 

 only of Prof. Migula's " System of Bacteriology." 



The author begins with a concise critical account of 

 the historical development of systematic bacteriology 

 from Leeuwenhoek to our present time. It must be a 

 relief to many that Prof. Migula considers it almost 

 useless waste of thought to ponder over the question 

 whether bacteria are plants or animals ; since they must 

 be placed somewhere, we may without hesitation classify 

 them among the plants, not because they possess a 

 vegetable nature, but because their nearest living allies 

 are found among the plants. The different systems 

 proposed by Cohn, Zopf, Fliigge, de Bary, Hiippe, 

 Eisenberg, Miquel, Fischer and others are discussed and 

 criticised. A classification on the principle of fructifica- 

 tion is impossible, because we cannot honestly accept 

 the existence of arthrospores, and thus there is no 

 fundament iim divisionis ; nor can we classify bacteria 

 according to their chemical, physical and physiological 

 properties, as proposed by Eisenberg. Prof. Migula 

 justly repudiates the extraordinary artificial and un- 

 natural system of Miquel, which was founded upon the 

 constancy of physiological properties. As it is a habit 

 of medical bacteriologists, even at the present time, 

 to distinguish species or varieties on such a principle, 

 which has also been ably criticised by Prof. Marshall 

 Ward, we advise them to glance at pp. 42 and 43, 

 which should convince them of their error. Prof. 

 Migula's system is as follows : — 



Bacteria. 

 Family I. — Coccacea. 



Species i. Streptococcus = division in one plane. 



2. Micrococcus = division in two planes.^ 



3. Sarcina = division in three planes. 



4. Planococcus = division in two planes ; flagella. 



5. Planosarcina = division in three planes; flagella. 



Family Il.—Bacteriacea. 



Species i. Bacterium = no flagella. 



2. Bacillus = completely surrounded by flagella. 



3. Pseudomonas = polar flagella. 



Family III. — SpirilloiccE. 



Species l. Spirosoma = no flagella ; rigid. 



2. Microspira = 1, or 2-3 polar flagella ; rigid. 



3. Spirillum = 5-20 polar flagella ; rigid. 



4. Spirochete = no flagella ; flexible. 



Family I V.—Chlamydobacteriacea. 

 Species i. Streptothrix. 



2. Cladothrix. 



3. Crenothrix. 



4. Phragmidiothrix. 



5. Thiothrix. 



Family V.—Beggiatoacea. 

 Species Beggiatoa. 



The morphology of the bacterial cell is carefully de- 

 scribed, and considerable attention is paid to the cell- 

 membrane, which, according to Prof. Migula, is directly 



1 It is pleasing to note that the term " staphylococcus " does not occur 

 this system. 



F 



