5^2 



NA TURE 



[OCTOBKR 12, 1905 



tuberculin. (2) A g-lobulin (I'.G.L.), soluble in neuti-al 

 saline solutions, and also toxic. (3) Several non-toxic 

 substances soluble only in ether, chloroform, and the 

 like. The residue of the tubercle bacillus after the 

 removal of the foregoing he terms the restbacillus ; 

 this still retains the form and staining reactions of 

 the original tubercle bacillus. The restbacillus can be 

 converted into an amorphous substance readily taken 

 up bv the lymphatic cells of animals undergoing a 

 metamorphosis and leading coincidently to the pro- 

 duction of oxyphil granules in these cells and of 

 immunity to the tubercle bacillus in the organism as 

 a whole. 



Prof. V. Behring has convinced himself that this 

 T.C. can be elaborated in vitro in a fashion which 

 will enable it to be applied efficaciously and without 

 danger in human therapeutics, but until this has been 

 confirmed he does not propose to publish his full 

 results. 



The scientific interest of the congress naturally 

 divided itself into two parts, the exhibition of patho- 

 logical specimens, of models, photographs, and plans 

 of sanatoria, instruments, sterilising machinery, and 

 the like in the museum on the ground floor of the 

 Grand Palais, and the actual communications made 

 to the congress. Both presented features of great 

 importance. Among the exhibits of more especial 

 interest were a series of specimens indicating the 

 results of inoculation of bovine, human, and avian 

 tubercle in different animals, lent bv the Gesund- 

 heitsamt of Berlin, and a similar series shown and 

 thoroughly demonstrated by Dr. Lydia Rabinowitsch. 

 The latter observer had been able to show the vary- 

 ing grades of virulence of the tubercle bacilli from 

 different sources, but had not been able b)' trans- 

 ference through different animals to convert bacilli 

 with the cultural properties of bovine bacilli into those 

 with the cultural characters of human tubercle bacilli 

 and vice versa, although this could not be seen from 

 the naked-eye appearance of many of the specimens. 

 Neither had she so far repeated Nocard's results of 

 converting avian into human or human into avian 

 bacilli, although she exhibited an example of a bird 

 which had suffered, apparently spontaneously, from 

 tuberculosis, in which the cultural appearances were 

 those of human bacilli. Dr. Calmette, of the Pasteur 

 Institute of Lille, showed an important series of speci- 

 mens from goats and kids. Kids which had been 

 fed on the milk from mothers the mammse of which 

 were infected with bovine tubercle presented caseation 

 of the mesenteric glands and also pulmonary lesions, 

 apparentlv spreading through the peribronchial 

 glands and Ivmphatic chain, although the retro- 

 pharyngeal chain of glands remained uninfected. In 

 cases in which the mothers had been inoculated with 

 human or avian tuberculosis or with the Timothy 

 bacillus only the mesenteric glands were infected, 

 .^dult goats to which doses of a culture of bovine 

 tubercle had been administered through an oeso- 

 phageal tube always died rapidly of pulmonary 

 fiiberciitosis without apparent intestinal lesions and 

 only a few scattered points of caseation in the 

 mesenteric glands. Nothing approaching the degree 

 of mesenteric affection seen in kids was found. This 

 confirms Prof. v. Behring's announcement in 1903 

 that pulmonary tuberculosis might result from in- 

 testinal infection without producing local lesions at 

 the point of entry. The .\lfort Veterinary College 

 showed a series of specimens, and others were to be 

 seen in the museum of the college, which members 

 of the congress were invited to visit. Amongst others 

 were examples of the comparatively rare tuberculosis 

 of the horse, and evidences that dogs suffer severely 

 both from pulmonary and intestinal tuberculosis. 

 Prof. G. Petit, of Alfort, has shown that such affec- 

 NO. 1876, VOL. 72] 



tions are steadily on the increase, and constitute an 

 important factor in the campaign against tubercu- 

 losis, since a household otherwise protected to the 

 best of human abilit}- may become infected by a pet 

 dog, which, having acquired tuberculosis in the 

 streets or elsewhere, subsequently lies on the bed of 

 children and licks their faces. The tuberculosis of 

 dogs is more often open than had been anticipated ; 

 this means that tubercle bacilli would be constantly 

 about their mouths, and so be readily transferred. 

 The most common organism is the human bacillus, 

 and the dogs most affected are those from small 

 cafes where the air is constantlx' full of dust and 

 dried sputum. 



In the hygienic section were full size models show- 

 ing the ordinary hotel room with its heavy hangings 

 and dust accumulation, and the same room as it 

 should, and could at less cost, be properly furnished 

 with easily disinfected materials. .Another group 

 showed the great superiority in light, air, and general 

 hvgiene of a prison cell over the attic rooms with 

 skylights, often not opening, in which most servants 

 in Paris are accustomed to sleep. 



For the purpose of receiving communications the 

 congress was divided into four sections, the first two 

 dealing with medical and surgical pathology and 

 therapeutics respectively, the third with the protection 

 of infant life, and the fourth with the protection of 

 the adult and social hygiene. 



In many subjects the two former sections over- 

 lapped, especially in dealing with the nature and 

 varieties of tuberculosis and the value of serothera- 

 peutics. The general conclusions appeared to be that 

 the morphological appearances of the different varie- 

 ties of the tubercle bacillus and other acid-fast bacilli 

 ivere very similar, but that cultural differences existed, 

 and that there were wide variations in toxicitv. 

 .Special reports were made on this subject bv Profs. 

 .-\rloing, Kossel, and Ravenel. These showed that the 

 infection of man by bovine tubercle bacilli, which are 

 the most virulent, could occur through feeding with 

 the unsterilised milk of tuberculous cows. All 

 mammals appeared to suffer from infection by both 

 types of bacilli, but no other type of mammalian 

 bacilli could be established from cultural or morpho- 

 logical characters. .So far as was known, tubercle 

 bacilli modified in virulence by passing through 

 animals other than mammals could be ultimatelv 

 traced to a human or bovine origin, and restored by 

 passage through cultures and other animals to their 

 original forms. While the general impression seemed 

 to be that the tubercle bacillus is in reality but one 

 species, it was admitted that no evidence of trans- 

 formation of the one type into the other, in cultural 

 characters at any rate, had so far been produced, 

 although varying grades of virulence in each type 

 were recognised. 



In a general study of acid-fast bacilli, Drs. 

 Besangon and Philibert distinguish between true acid- 

 fast bacilli which remain so under all conditions of 

 culture, growth, and passage through- animals, and 

 those which for a single generation have acquired 

 acid-fast characters. 



They found that many bacilli grown on appropriate 

 media containing fats, of which lanoline was the 

 best, acquire the power for some time of resisting 

 decolorisation by acids or by acids and alcohol. Sub- 

 cultures grown on similar fatty media are also acid- 

 fast, but subcultures on ordinary media possess no 

 such power. To distinguish between these groups it 

 was necessary to stain for a longer period than usual, 

 and then to expose the films to the action of acid for 

 many hours. 



When deeply stained the tubercle bacillus will resist 

 decolorisation for twelve to eighteen hours ; the 



