478 Prof. H. J. Detmers on a Pathogenic ScMzopTiyte. 



the distinguishing forms and characteristics of the Swine- 

 plague Schizophytes, and also learn a little more about their 

 mode and manner of propagation. I therefore asked Mr. Tolles 

 to make me a higher-power objective especially adapted to my 

 work ; and he has furnished me a duplex 1-15 homogeneous 

 immersion objective (in reality a little more than a 1-16), 

 which is, beyond comparison, the best objective I have ever 

 seen. It is even superior, in definition and flatness of field, to 

 a magnificent 1-18 homogeneous immersion objective (in 

 reality a 1-20) of Carl Zeiss, made to order a month or two 

 ago. 



As to a proper generic place and name of these Swine- 

 plague Schizophytes, I am at a loss. The best authorities 

 (Cohn, Klebs, and others) who have attempted a classification 

 are somewhat undecided themselves, and do not agree where 

 generic lines ought to be drawn. At any rate the Swine- 

 plague Schizophytes do not fit into any of the genera proposed. 

 They are not Bacteria^ because the single cells are spherical 

 and not oblong ; they can hardly be considered as Micrococci^ 

 because the same are bispherical in their advanced stage of 

 development ; and they cannot be classed among the Bacilli 

 on account of their forming Zodgloea-n\?i?,'&QB. I have there- 

 fore preferred to use, for the present, that name which, with- 

 out any serious contradiction, is given by modern investigators 

 to the whole family, Schizophyt^ or Schizophytes, or the older 

 name introduced by Nageli, Schizomycetes. 



The Swine-plague Schizophytes present themselves, accor- 

 ding to their stage of development, in three different forms 

 and shapes. Their simplest form, it seems, is that of a Micro- 

 coccus^ or of a small globule of about 0'7or0'8 microm. (3-3-5-017 

 inch) in diameter. It occurs invariably in the blood, the morbid 

 products, and exudations, &c. of the diseased animals, and is 

 never absent, but can always be found, though in some cases 

 in much greater numbers than in others. The second form is 

 bispherical, the spherical cell having duplicated itself by a 

 gradual contraction in the middle, while growing endwise. 

 These bispherical Schizophytes are always more or less nume- 

 rous, and are motile, or move about, provided the temperature 

 of their vehicle (lung-exudation or blood-serum, for instance) 

 is not too low. Some of them, but probably only those which 

 are separated from a larger chain, as will presently be ex- 

 plained, are provided, at any rate at one end, with a flagellum 

 (a postflagellum), which, however, is so exceedingly fine 

 that it can be seen only with the very best high -power objec- 

 tives, like a Tolles 1-15, and the most favourable light obtain- 

 able, and even then only while the Schizophyte is slowly 



