144 PTOMAINES AND TOXALBUMINS. 



anthrax. In a dry condition it has a grayish- white color and gives 

 the reactions of albumins. 



The toxalbumin of the tetanus bacillus is also soluble in water. 

 It is best obtained in bouillon cultures containing glucose. 



Quite recently (1891) G. and F. Klemperer have announced their 

 success in obtaining a toxalbumin from cultures of Micrococcus 

 pneumonisB crouposse (" diplococcus pneumonise "); this they propose 

 to call pneumotoxin. 



Koch's " Tuberculin." This is a glycerin extract of the toxic 

 substances present in cultures of the tubercle bacillus. Crude tu- 

 berculin is obtained from liquid cultures made in veal broth to which 

 one per cent of peptone and four to five per cent of glycerin have 

 been added. This culture liquid is placed in flasks and inoculated 

 upon the surface with small masses from a pure culture of the tu- 

 bercle bacillus. A tolerably thick and dry white layer is developed, 

 which after a time covers the entire surface. At the end of six to 

 eight weeks development ceases and the culture liquid is evaporated 

 over a water bath to one-tenth its volume ; this, after being filtered, 

 constitutes the crude tuberculin. By precipitation with sixty-per- 

 cent alcohol Koch has obtained from this a white precipitate which 

 has the active properties of the glycerin extract. This is soluble in 

 water and in glycerin, and has the chemical reactions of an albumi- 

 nous body. 



Zuelzer has recently (1891) reported his success in isolating a 

 toxic substance from tubercle cultures. The contents of tubes con- 

 taining pure cultures of the bacillus are first treated with hot water 

 acidulated with hydrochloric acid. This solution is filtered, evapo- 

 rated, and then several times precipitated with platinum chloride. 

 The double salt formed is decomposed by hydrosulphuric acid, 

 after which the liquid is filtered and evaporated to dryness. A 

 white, crystalline salt is thus obtained which is soluble in hot water. 

 This salt was toxic for rabbits and guinea-pigs in doses of from one 

 to three centigrammes. Death usually occurred in from two to four 

 days. In guinea-pigs one centigramme injected subcutaneously 

 caused, within a few minutes, a greatly increased frequency of respi- 

 ration, an elevation of temperature, and protrusion of the eyeballs. 



Mullein. Kalwing, Preusse, and Pearson have obtained from 

 cultures of the glanders bacillus a ' ' lymph " which somewhat re- 

 sembles the crude tuberculin of Koch. This was obtained by 

 Preusse by treating old potato cultures of the glanders bacillus with 

 glycerin and water. The extract was filtered several times and then 

 sterilized in a steam sterilizer. This lymph injected into horses in- 

 fected with glanders gives rise to a very decided elevation of tempe- 

 rature, while in horses free from this disease no such result follows. 



