754 Transactions of the Society. 



there were numerous bacteria, but not active to any extent. The 

 fluid had become ropy, the dark colour had lessened, the odour had 

 become disagreeable. An attempt was made to cultivate the 

 organisms in fresh sterilized hay infusion, but it was unsuccessful. 



The original fluid was now stirred up, and allowed to re-settle, 

 still it yielded nothing of change that 1 could discover upon the 

 examination of many slides. It was kept for more than a month 

 when the fluid had a sour smell and acid reaction. To the latter I 

 think we may attribute the want of growth of the rods generally ; 

 evidently the pabulum was not favourable; at this stage a few 

 octahedra of oxalate of lime were seen. The results offered a great 

 contrast to those of the excreta of the goat. 



Possibly, by fractional cultivations in proper media, we might 

 be able to arrive at a more perfect study of the different organisms, 

 and test their physiological peculiarities or their pathological 

 reactions, if any. We may, I think, however take for granted that 

 the spores have resisted the entire digestive process in both cases, 

 but whether they, or the spirilla, would prove detrimental to 

 guinea pigs or mice, I must leave to the care of those armed with 

 the necessary powers, in this country, for such studies. 



