786 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



only. Of these constant forms he finds Bacillus Ulna, Clostridium 

 hutyricum, C. polymyxa, and several others not named, but no constant 

 bacterium, and only once a coccus. 



Of Leptothrix three distinct forms are described in detail, one of 

 them chromogenous. Two of these he regards as comprised under 

 L. buccalis, which together with spirillum, vibrio, and Spirochcete 

 denticola, causes the mucilage of the teeth. 



Of other chromogenous forms the author finds Micrococcus luteus, 

 two unnamed, and Bacillus Mansenii, a new species. Cultivated on 

 potato, this form grows with extraordinary rapidity, almost to the 

 exclusion of all others. 



Experiments are described which lead to the conclusion that the 

 fluid in some cases contains micro-organisms when it enters the 

 mouth from the ductus stenonianus ; but that the air expired from 

 the lungs is free from them. 



Microbia of Milk.* — F. Hiippe has made a detailed examination 

 of the microbia of milk, which can, he states, be completely sterilized 

 by a temperature of 75°-100° C. He describes in detail the bacteria 

 connected with the fermentation of milk, their biological relationships, 

 and their chemical action on the milk. The bacilli of butyric fer- 

 mentation are also described, the organisms of blue milk, other 

 pigment-forming bacteria, mucilaginous milk, and Oidium lactis. The 

 author holds very strongly the view of the constancy of the bacteria 

 of milk. 



Microbe of "Morbillo."t — M. Lanzi has investigated the microbe 

 characteristic of this infection which he finds especially in the desqua- 

 mated scales of the skin and in the urine. He considers it to be a 

 species peculiar to this complaint, to which he gives the name 

 Bacterium morhilli with the following characters : — Cells round or 

 elongated, colourless, motile, isolated or united into chains of various 

 lengths, composed of two or more cells, straight or more often curved, 

 and even spiral : cells, " 8-1 * /a in diameter, with the length vary- 

 ing from this to double as much ; no zoogloea-form was observed ; 

 propagation by fission in one direction, and then forming spores. 

 Occasionally a large bacillus-form was assumed. The best staining 

 reagent was found to be methyl-violet. Bacterium morhilli has no 

 power of causing fermentation in the urine like Micrococcus urecB, 

 Without considering the question decided, the author leans to the 

 opinion that it is the cause, and not merely the accompaniment of 

 the disease. 



Bacillus of Cholera. t — T. E. Lewis denies the validity of Dr. 

 Koch's conclusions as to the " comma-shaped " bacillus being the cause 

 of cholera, as bacilli identical in size, form, and in their reaction 

 with anilin dyes with those found in choleraic dejecta are ordinarily 

 present in the mouth of perfectly healthy persons. 



* MT. K. Gesundheitsamtes, v. p. 309. See Naturforscher, xvii. (1884) 

 p. 251. 



t Bull. Accad. Med. Roma, ix. (1883) No. 7. 

 X Nature, xxx. (1884) pp. 513-5. 



