472 DISEASES WITH UNCERTAIN CAUSES. 



Erw. Smith (injurious to cruciferae). Besides, there have 

 been described bacterial diseases of vines, celery, and 

 sugar-beets, yet only exceptionally are the descriptions suf- 

 ficiently complete. 



Rachitis. 



Mircoli ascribes it to Microc. and Strept. pyogenes (C. 

 B. xx, 321). 



Acute Rheumatism. 



It may be mentioned that Sawtschenko, with Achalme, 

 has recently recognized the cause of acute rheumatism in 

 an anaerobic, sporulating bacillus. Confirmation is awaited 

 with interest (C. B. xxiv, 794). 



Cattle Plague. 



We only know that the causative agent does not pass 

 through a clay filter: the German investigators in South 

 Africa consider the statements, accompanied by illustra- 

 tions, of Nencki, Sieber, and Wyznikiewicz (C. B. xxm, 

 529) as delusions. They recognize the cause of the plague 

 in a small, spherical organism, but do not directly desig- 

 nate it a micrococcus. The organism is said to grow in 

 peptone solution. 



According to Abbe, the limit of the working capacity 

 of our microscopes lies at 0. 1 to 0. 2 f*. 



Scarlatina. 



Many of the older writers especially, and of the newer 

 ones, — for example, d'Espine (C. B. xviii, 132), — are of 

 the opinion that the specific cause of scarlatina resides in 

 the streptococcus which is very frequently present, but 

 this is almost certainly not true. Czajkowski (C. B. 

 xviii, 116) never failed to find in the blood of seven- 

 teen cases of scarlatina a diplococcus (according to the 

 illustrations, more like short diplobacilli) which grows to 

 a limited extent upon solid nutrient media (glycerin-agar, 

 blood-agar, serum), more luxuriantly in fluid nutrient 

 media, and is pathogenic for mice. It is not' stated 

 whether the diplococcus appears as a streptococcus upon 



