234 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[December, 



ence or absence from a practical 

 stand-point. 



It will be remembered that the 

 demonstration of the presence of 

 this bacillus, as well as its chief dis- 

 tinctive feature, depends upon its 

 appropriation of certain coloring 

 matters, while the ordary bacilli of 

 putrefactive change remain unaffec- 

 ted. Heretofore the method em- 

 ployed by Koch has been very un- 

 satisfactory, on account of its un- 

 certainty and often entire failure ; 

 the modifications suggested by Ehr- 

 lich yield more uniform results, with- 

 out, however, overcoming the ele- 

 ment of uncertainty. 



Recently, in The Lancet of Aug. 5th, 

 Dr. Heneage Gibbs has given his 

 plan of staining the bacterium, claim- 

 ing for the method uniformity and 

 certainty of action. * * * 



The coloring matters employed are 

 magenta crystals and chrysodin 

 (chrysoidin); the latter is a brown, 

 staining the ground-substance, but 

 with less intensity than vesuvin. 

 These solutions are required: — 



A. — Magenta crystals, 2 gram. Pure 

 anilin, 3 gram. Alcohol (s. g. 830) 

 20 c.c, Dist. water, 20 c.c. 



Dissolve the anilin colors in the al- 

 cohol, rubbing them up in a glass 

 mortar, adding the spirit gradually 

 until all the color is dissolved, then 

 add water slowly while stirring. 

 Keep in a stoppered bottle. 



B. — Saturated solution of chrysoi- 

 din in distilled water; add a crystal of 

 thymol to prevent deterioration. 



C. — Dilute solution of nitric acid 

 — one part of acid to two of distilled 

 water. 



The following is the process of 

 staining suspected sputum: — 



Spread a thin layer of sputum on a 

 cover-glass, and allow it to dry ; 

 when quite dry, pass the cover two 

 or three times through the flame of 

 a Bunsen burner, and allow it to cool. 

 Filter a few drops of solution A into 

 a small watch-glass, and in this fluid 

 place the cover with the charged sur- 

 face down, taking care that no air 



bubbles are present. In the staining 

 fluid the cover remains 15-20 minu- 

 tes; then wash it in the acid solution 

 C, until all color has disappeared; 

 then remove all acid with distilled 

 water, when a faint color again be- 

 comes evident; then, in the same 

 manner, subject the cover to a few 

 drops of solution B, filtered into a 

 watch-glass, allowing it to remain se- 

 veral minutes, until it acquires a 

 brown color; wash away all superfluous 

 fluid in distilled water, and then 

 place the cover in absolute alcohol; 

 afterward dry it perfectly in the air, 

 place a drop of Canada balsam solu- 

 tion on the cover, and mount. 



* * * In successfully stained 

 preparations the bacilli are readily 

 seen with a good ^ or 1-5-inch ob- 

 jective, being well exhibited with a 

 ^ or i-io. 



In commenting on the diagnostic 

 value of the presence or absence of 

 these micro-organisms. Dr. Gibbs 

 states that in cases of undoubted 

 phthisis he readily found them; in 

 those cases presenting suspicious 

 symptoms, some yielded the charac- 

 teristic bacillus, while in others it 

 was absent. In duplicate slides 

 prepared, the putrefactive bacilli re- 

 mained unstained by the magenta 

 process. * * * 



The Effect of Tobacco. 



[The following abstract of an arti- 

 cle in Good Health, attributed by that 

 paper to the New York Times, may 

 or may not be true. Probably it is not. 

 The facts may be correctly stated, but 

 whether the tobacco or the sea voyage 

 or the change of climate was the cause 

 of the gentleman's demise we are not 

 informed. — Ed.] 



" M. Decaisne offers no rationale 

 of the action of the narcotic tobacco, 

 and enters into no analysis of the dis- 

 ease now familiar to popular parlance 

 as smoker's heart ; but here his ob- 

 servations are supplemented by those 

 of a careful microscopic observer, 



