ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 695 



specks wlaich presented the greatest possible differences in reference 

 to time of incubation, rapidity of growth, and ajjpearance ; (2) specks 

 from the blood of different individuals ; and (3) he employed that 

 blood only which contained a small number of specks, which were, 

 therefore, at a distance apart. The piece of the capillary tube, the 

 contents of which were going to be sown, was then separated under 

 wat-er by a strong pair of scissors, and placed in the culture-bulb, 

 with the requisite precautions — viz. using all the instrxunents imme- 

 diately after strong heating, to destroy the dust, &c. A bulb was 

 used for this pui'pose provided with a rather short (4 cm.) and rela- 

 tively wide neck, with only a small opening, closed by a wad. The 

 wad was composed of a caoutchouc tube, which was so firmly closed 

 for half its length by a small wad-stopper that it was slightly bulged. 

 The tube was somewhat wider than the upper end of the neck of the 

 bulb, that it might be placed on it without difficulty, but narrower 

 than the lower part. After the requisite quantity of the nutrient 

 fluid had been dra-mi into the bulb, and the latter closed, the definite 

 purification and sterilizing were effected by boiling. 



The author gives a tabular description of forty specks, and of the 

 bacterial forms obtained from them, with information as to the period 

 of incubation, rapidity of dissemination, &c. Sis bulbs showed no 

 development of bacteria. The remaining thirty-four contained at 

 least seven different Schizomycetes — viz. four morphologically dif- 

 ferent bacilli in four bulbs, characteristic Streptococci in great 

 chains and knots in four, and in twenty-six cocci which ■were easily 

 divided into micrococci and mesococci. But the latter must also, 

 in any case, include a variety of species, since a microscopic examina- 

 tion of each of the two gi-oups revealed very considerable morpho- 

 logical differences. In some of the bulbs was nothing but diplococci, 

 in others cocci of equal or unequal sizes, while in others they were of 

 a comparatively gigantic size. A macroscopic examination also 

 brought out great differences. With the motile bacilli there was 

 always a diffused tui'bidity of the fiuid, while the motionless cocci 

 appeared as greyish or whitish specks, which formed peculiar figui-es 

 on the walls ; or they accumulated in masses at the bottom, or covered 

 the wall as a connected easily destroyed pellicle. 



These appearances recurred when the organisms in question were 

 transferred to other bulbs with the same nutrient fluid. With 

 reference to the rapidity of dissemination in the nutrient fluid 

 (infusion of flesh), the micrococci were distinguished by their slug- 

 gishness. 



False Appearances produced by Hardening. — Dr. G. H. Savage, 

 of Bethlem Hospital, writes : — 



" It is of the utmost importance that, in drawing conclusions from 

 hardened specimens we should know what changes may be produced 

 by the reagents used for preserving. As I am in some doubt as to the 

 changes produced by spirit on nervous tissues, I write to ask the 

 aid of brother microscopists as to the changes they have found in 

 spirit-hardened specimens. I am more especially interested in the 

 changes produced in nervous tissues by spirit, and I should be glad to 



