522 
NATIORE 
[ Marci 31, 1904 
backed up. The reason for the failure was attributed to 
the fact that it was proposed to try models for different 
firms, and it was feared that difficulties might arise. Sir 
William now suggests that what might be called the com- 
mercial side of the scheme should be abandoned, and that a 
tank should be constructed for the sole purpose of research 
work, and investigation into the general principles under- 
lying the science of naval architecture. This would 
naturally cut off the income it was proposed should be 
derived from testing models for firms, and therefore a 
sufficient sum must be collected, not only to build the tank, 
but also to endow it. The suggestion is that the tank 
should be constructed at Bushy, and be incorporated as a 
part of the National Physical Laboratory. The cost of 
building would be about 15,000l., and the annual cost of 
staff, maintenance, &c., would be about 1500]. Dr. Glaze- 
brook, who spoke in the discussion, said the management 
of the National Physical Laboratory welcomed the sugges- 
tion most cordially, and it therefore only remains to collect 
the money. The cooperation of ship owners, as well as of 
ship builders, was asked for, and the general opinion of the 
meeting appeared to be that it would argue ill for the enter- 
prise and public spirit of the shipping community if the 
moderate sum needed were not forthcoming. 
The next paper read was doubtless the most valuable pre- 
sented at the meeting. It was a contribution by Mr. R. E. 
Froude, and detailed some results on model experiments. 
It is hardly necessary to remind our readers that Mr. Froude 
has for many years carried on at Haslar for the Govern- 
ment the work in connection with tank research inaugurated 
by his brilliant father. The details he now gives are the 
result of experiments carried through a period of thirty 
years; in fact, the initial trials were made at Torquay by 
the late Mr. Froude. The details given were of a purely 
technical nature, and could not be explained without the 
advantage of much space and many diagrams of ships’ 
forms, &c. Although the details referred to war vessels, 
they are applicable to mercantile craft within the limits of 
form included. 
A paper by Prof. Scribanti, of the Royal Italian Navy, 
on the heeling and rolling of ships of small initial stability, 
was read in brief abstract, and was not discussed. ‘ 
A paper by Herr Otto Schlick, on the gyroscopic effect of 
fly wheels on board ship, was read at the evening sitting 
of Thursday. The author proposed the installation of an 
enormous gyroscope for the purpose indicated. The sugges- 
tion is not new, but the practical difficulties in the way 
have generally been considered too great to make the plan 
acceptable to ship designers. Herr Schlick’s paper was, 
however, acceptable as giving in simple language an 
admirable exposition of the gyroscopic effect. 
Two papers, respectively by Mr. J. E. Thornycroft and 
Mr. A. F. Evans, gave particulars, chiefly of a historical 
nature, of the application of oil engines to small vessels. 
The occasion is perhaps notable from the fact that some 
members present, connected in a practical manner with 
marine engineering and ship design, considered the use of 
gas engines for marine propulsion—with gas producers in 
place of steam boilers—as a problem that would have to be 
considered. before long. 
At the Friday meeting Prof. Plateau, of Paris, gave 
particulars of vessels fitted with the form of steam turbine 
he has invented, notably a first-class torpedo boat built by 
Messrs. Yarrow and Co. This vessel has made a speed of 
26-39 knots. The battle of the turbines is likely to be the 
great feature in the domain of ship propulsion in the 
immediate future. Whether the impulse type or the re- 
action type will prove superior is a question that must be 
settled by experiment, and further information on this 
subject is anticipated with interest. The adoption of the 
steam turbine in the two new Cunard liners, after an 
exhaustive inquiry by a very competent tribunal, has placed 
the steam turbine on a firm basis as a means of marine 
propulsion. 
A paper by Dr. J. Bruhn, on some points in connection 
with the transverse strength of ships, dealt with a problem 
of such complexity that it has often been considered in- 
determinable; whilst a second paper by Mr. A. W. Johns, 
on the normal pressure on thin moving plates, is also one 
that lends itself to abstruse mathematical consideration. 
NO. 1796, VOL. 69] 
RECENT DISCOVERIES IN BACTERIOLOGY." 
THESE are researches towards a fuller knowledge of the 
morphology and life-history of various orders belong- 
ing to Bacteriacee. So far the complete life-history of 
sporogenous forms had only been worked out for a very 
small number, all belonging to the genus Bacillus. The 
discovery of spores in the genus Sarcina, and the acquisi- 
tion of a pure culture of the same by the author, gave him 
an opportunity of making a complete investigation of this 
genus. It includes the treatment of spores with various 
reagents, the germination, the mode of insertion of cilia, 
the course of development in various media, mode of cell- 
division, development of spores, and a number of physio- 
logical experiments. With appropriate stains the morpho- 
logy and inner structure of the cell was examined, the cell 
being differentiated into membrane cytoplasm and nucleus. 
The results of metabolism fat, glycogen, &c., were not 
observed, so the products of protoplasm must be dissolved 
in the cytoplasm, and cannot at present be examined micro- 
scopically. The development of the spore is interesting, and 
requires a very delicate manipulation of stains. It first 
appears as a vacuole with a central nucleus embedded in it. 
The vacuole gets denser, until the young spore now dimly 
outlined stains more deeply than the neighbouring cyto- 
plasm. Then it differentiates a membrane and gradually 
becomes very strongly refractive, whilst the rest of the cell 
almost entirely disappears, being only visible when treated 
with certain stains. This description tallies with Meyer’s 
account of the development of the spore in the genus 
Bacillus. 
Investigation was also carried into the genus Spirillum, 
the species Sp. gigantewm being chosen. The variation of 
size and form, variation, nature, and amount of reserve 
matter (fat and ‘‘ Volutans-kugeln’’), the ciliation, the 
course of development in various media, pathogenic struc- 
tures, &c., were fully examined, so that a complete 
diagnosis of the species is in our possession. The formation 
of spores is unfortunately as yet unknown in this species. 
In this species the most interesting result was the demon- 
stration of the origin of the cilia from the inside of the 
cell. Some investigators had maintained that the cell had 
no membrane, beng simply naked protoplasm, and that the 
cilia arose from the periphery, others that there was a 
membrane, so that the cilia must arise from the inside. 
The whole question was purely conjectural, but with 
appropriate staining, which is given in the text, and shown 
by drawings, the author proves the latter hypothesis to be 
the true one. 
The most important part of the above researches is that 
dealing with ciliation. Modern classification subdivides 
according to the possession or non-possession of organs of 
motion. It is proved that formation of slime in the artificial 
cultures of the laboratory is the cause of absence of motion. 
A method is discovered to prevent this formation, with the 
result that all the supposed non-motile forms were found to 
be motile, and from everyone the organs of motion were 
successfully demonstrated. The investigation included 17 
forms from the genus Sarcina, 5 forms from the genus 
Micrococcus, 3 forms from the genus Streptococcus, and 5 
from the genus Bacterium, all indiscriminately chosen. 
Hence the genus Sarcina is absolutely identical with the 
genus Planosarcina, Micrococcus with Planococcus, and 
Bacterium with Bacillus (see Migula’s ‘* System der 
Bakterien ’’). It is therefore obviously necessary that the 
subdivision of the families Coccacee and Bacteriaceze must 
be remodelled. A new classification is proposed for these 
two families, the essence of which is as follows :— 
Family Coccaceae. Round cells, ciliated. 
(1) Genus Streptococcus. Division in one direction of 
space. 
(2) Genus 
space. 
(3) Genus Sarcina. 
Micrococcus. Division in two directions of 
Division in three directions of space. 
1 (1) *‘ Untersuchungen iiber Sarcina Streptoccus und Spirillum,” Cenxtrad- 
blatt fiir Bakteriologie, Abt. 1. Bd. XX XIII. (1903.) (2) “‘ Der Nachweis 
der Geisyeln bei alien Coccaceen,” /ézd., Abt. II. Bd. 1X. ‘(1902.) (3) On 
the Discovery of Cilia in the Genus Kacterium,” /é/a., Abt. I]. Bd. XT. 
(1903.) No, 8/9. By David Ellis, Ph.D. (Marburg), B.Sc. (London). 
