30 PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 
Mr. J. S. Bruiines made a communication on 
GERM CULTURES, 
exhibiting specimens of cultures of chromogenetic and pathogenetic 
micro-organisms, to illustrate the improvements in methods of 
investigating these organisms which have been made of late years. 
Attention was called to the value of culture upon semi-solid media 
such as peptonized gelatin, agar agar, coagulated blood serum, etc., 
as a means of differentiating micro-organisms, and of obtaining pure 
cultures to be used for experimental purposes; and the applications 
of the method to testing the efficacy of disinfectants, to water 
examinations, &c., were pointed out. 
277TH MEETING. DrEcEMBER 5, 1885. 
By courtesy of the officers of the Columbian University, the 
meeting was held in the law lecture room of the University build- 
ing. Members of the Anthropological, Biological, and Chemical 
Societies and their friends were present by invitation. 
Vice-President BiLLines occupied the Chair. 
Present, one hundred and sixty members and guests. 
The President, Mr. AsApH HALL, read his annual address, taking 
for his subject : 
AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 
[Printed in full on pp. XxxIII-XLVII.] 
A resolution of thanks was moved and unanimously passed. 
278TH MEETING. DECEMBER 19, 1885. 
THE FIFTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 
The President in the chair. 
Thirty-eight members present. 
The minutes of the 260th, 276th, and 277th meetings were read 
and approved. 
