TEANSACTIONS OF SECTION D. 767 



investigation certainly also on very many coins. Of the typical bacterium there 

 occur 4-12 linked rods of 00055 — 0-0077 mm. length upon all silver, copper, and 

 bronze coins examined. The links at each end of the rod are usually thickened 

 into a little bead.' 



I was requested to translate Professor Reiosch's paper, and it has been widely 

 published in various parts of the United States; but only recently I have repeated 

 Professor Reinsch's investigations. As to the occurrence of palmella-like and 

 chroococcoid algae I can express no doubt ; but most of the coins that I have 

 examined, it is true the majority having been American, showed rod bacteria 

 either to be present in very much smaller number than Professor Reinsch describes, 

 or to be entirely absent, "as I shall presently state, and the movement of the 

 largest number of particles seen I believe to be molecular only. 



It is of interest that on the surface of a silver Spanish coin of the time of 

 Charles II., 1777 (which I have good reason to believe had been put away and 

 kept entirely out of circulation for at least fifty years), I found a few bacilli and 

 bacteria in fields containing numerous micrococci exactly like those observed on 

 coins now in circulation. The oldest coins examined were a Spanish silver piece of 

 the reign of Philip V., 1721, another of Ferdinand VI., 1754, the one mentioned 

 above, and a United States copper cent of 1803, in the sediment from all of 

 which the micro-organisms were as active and of the same appearances as in more 

 recent current money. 



I must also note that the American coins examined were the cleanest of all, 

 and the most difficult to obtain matter containing bacteria from. Whether this is 

 on account of any peculiarity of coinage or mixture of metals, which may interfere 

 with retention of sediment that acts as nidus, I do not know ; but it held good of 

 gold, silver, nickel, and copper coins. No American piece showed much micro- 

 vegetation unless at least from six to ten years old, while European pieces usually 

 showed the same when of dates only three or four years back. Many speculative 

 reasons might be suggested to explain this, but I simply note the fact as I found it. 

 Perhaps it was merely accidental, but I have examined a great many more 

 American coins than European. 



I always found in the incrustation some fat and starch granules, and about half 

 the number of rods were motionless. 



Professor Reinsch has pointed out the probability that the micro-organisms 

 play a role in the process of erosion of the surface of circulating coins, and also the 

 hygienic importance which may have to be ascribed to the presence, upon an object 

 so diffused as money, of bodies in many cases recognised as the zymotic agents, the 

 carriers and diffusers of disease. I am far from wishing, however, to promote the 

 occurrence of what neurologists nowadays describe as mysophobia, a malady 

 from which those who suffer have a morbid fear of contamination from handling- 

 money. 



On examining the dust that had been undisturbed for a long time in a crease of 

 a writing-desk cover, and on tops of doors in some rooms, I found similar but not 

 identical micro-vegetation, while the matter that I could obtain from between the 

 projections on the fine adjustment screw-bead of a microscope, long in use, 

 contained to all appearances the very same as the coins ; although positively to 

 decide the question whether or not the organisms are peculiar to money incrusta- 

 tions I must admit my incompetency so far as the algae are concerned, and my 

 inability to find grounds for a differential diagnosis between the bacteria found. 



12. On the Comparative Variableness of Bones and Muscles, with Remarks 

 on Unity of Type in Variation of the Origin and Insertion of certain 

 Muscles in Species unconnected by Unity of Descent. 1 By G. E. Dob- 

 son, M.A., F.B.S. 



Published in the Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, October 1884. 



