I 1 I K i: I'K i; A I, FKYKK. 145 



and the symptoms were observed to be analogous to those 



of (lie disease. 



PNEUMONIA. BONARDI has made a chemical study of 

 the diplococcus of FRAXKKL. He finds certain poisons 

 ptomaines which he has been unable as yet to obtain in 

 quantity sufficient for ultimate analysis. He also claims 

 to have secured immunity against the germ by treating 

 rabbits with small quantities of the chemical poisons. 



M ALKJNANT (EDEMA. KERRY finds that the bacillus 

 of this disease decomposes albumin with the formation of 

 fatty acids, leucin, hydro-paracu marie acid, and a foul- 

 Mnelliug oil of the composition C 8 H 16 4 . This oil is in- 

 soluble in water, alkalies, and acids, easily soluble in ether, 

 benzol, bisulphide of carbon, and alcohol. It is optically 

 inactive, and on being oxidized furnishes valerianic acid. 

 Nothing is said concerning its action upon animals. 

 Among the gaseous products are carbonic acid, hydrogen, 

 and marsh gas. The author was unable to determine 

 whether or not free nitrogen is formed. 



PUERPERAL FEVER. BOURGET claims to have isolated 

 several ptomaines from the urine of women with puerperal 

 fever. His conclusions are as follows: (1) In puerperal 

 fever the urine contains highly poisonous bases. (2) The 

 toxicity of the urine is most marked when the symptoms 

 of the disease are most grave, and diminishes as the symp- 

 toms abate. (3) The ptomaines obtained from the urine 

 prove fatal when injected into frogs and guinea-pigs. (4) 

 Toxic bases, resembling those obtained from the urine, were 

 extracted from the viscera of a woman who had died of 

 puerperal fever. 



