292 BACILLI PATHOGENIC IN MAN. 



and later by Pellizari, Chiari, Alvarez, and Cornil.* 

 On examining sections of the affected skin we find a 

 small celled infiltration of the cutis, sclerosis of tho 

 small .vessels, and a considerable number of large 

 spherical cells, most of them containing several small 

 nuclei ; the protoplasm of these cells contains very large 

 numbers of bacilli, which are also present in the 

 surrounding tissue and in the lymphatic vessels. The 

 bacilli are short rods, 1'5 to 8 /*, in length, and *5 to "8 

 p. in breadth ; their ends are rounded, and in their 

 interior are three or more markedly stained granules. 

 In order to render the bacilli visible, the sections are 

 best stained in methyl violet for 24 or 48 hours, and 

 then placed in iodine water. If we employ a strong 

 violet solution, and leave the specimens in it for 48 

 hours, and then decolourise for 48 hours in absolute 

 alcohol, we often see that each bacillus is surrounded 

 by an oval resistant capsule of a light bluish violet 

 colour. Cultivations, and attempts at inoculation with 

 these bacilli, have been, as yet, without result. For 

 further details, see Cornil and Babes "Les bacteries." 



Malaria. 

 (Fievre intermittente, Paludisme.) 



For a long time it has been supposed that malaria is 

 caused by an organised virus, and that it might be possible 

 to obtain this virus by cultivation on artificial substrata. 

 From the mode of spread of malaria it is evident that 

 this disease is not contagious in the ordinary sense, and 

 does not require the presence of a person suffering from 

 the disease for direct or indirect transmission ; on the 

 contrary, it seems to be chiefly connected with a certain 

 constitution of the local surroundings of man, and is not 

 dangerous to man in other places. Hence we may 

 assume that, in the case of malaria, we have not to 

 do with a true parasite, which can only develop with 

 difficulty, or not at all, outside the human body, but 



* Frisch, Wien. medic. Wochenschr., 1882. Pellizari, 11 Rhinosckromn, 

 Florenz, 1883.- Chiari, Wien. medic. Jahrb., 1882, ?ee p. 26. 



