ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 781 



related by Pasteur, as resulting from the subcutaneous injection of 

 saliva from an infant dead of hydrophobia, and by myself, from saliva 

 of a healthy adult, represent the same disease ? By no means. The 

 man of science soon finds that things which look alike are not 

 necessarily of the same kind. Thus of two transparent colourless 

 fluids, one may be harmless water, and the other a corrosive acid ; 

 two embryos apparently alike may develope, the one into a man, and 

 the other into a monkey; two seeds of the same size and general 

 appearance may produce the one a cabbage, the other a turnip, &c. 



" The argument, then, that because a certain bacillus, or spirillum, 

 or micrococcus, is morphologically identical with another which is 

 proved to be harmless as to its effects upon an animal organism, con- 

 sequently it must be harmless, has no support from analogy any more 

 than it has from experiment. And it is high time that naturalists 

 and physicians should open their eyes to the fallacy of such an 

 argument, as it not only has a tendency to close the minds of those 

 who receive it to the reception of demonstrated truth, but also acts, to 

 some extent, as a bar to the progress of science in this direction." 



The morphology of the organism is dealt with in full detail, and 

 is illustrated by a plate reproduced by the heliotype process from 

 j)hoto-micrographs (Zeiss -^^ hom. im.). 



The author mentions, as having a possible bearing on the subject, 

 that he has been engaged to a considerable extent during the past two 

 years in studies which have brought him in contact with septic 

 material. 



Action of Compounds Inimical to Bacterial Life.* — Mr. W. M. 

 Hamlet finds that hydrogen, carbonic oxide, marsh-gas, nitrogen, 

 sulphuretted hydrogen, p'^tash, soda, and various salts and organic 

 acids, have no effect on baciria, which readily develojie in them all. 



On the other hand, chlorine and hydric peroxide were found to 

 kill the bacteria, while potash- and ammonia-alum, ferrous sulj^hate, 

 chloroform, creosote, carbolic acid, and a few other compounds only 

 partially hinder their growth. " Bacteria may be pickled in creosote 

 and carbolic acid without being deprived of their vitality. Take 

 them out of pickle and surround them with suitable nourishment in 

 the form of albuminous solutions, and their life proceeds unin- 

 terruptedly as before." 



Action of Ozone on Germs contained in the Air.f — E. Chappuis 

 has found that whilst dust collected from the air on plugs of cotton- 

 wool and introduced into solutions of yeagt causes a turbidity in a few 

 days, yet if the plugs containing the dust are previously subjected to 

 the action of a current of ozonized air no turbidity is produced at the 

 end of twenty days. 



It is evident, therefore, that all germs suspended in the air, 

 capable of developing in solutions of yeast from beer, are killed by 

 ozone. 



* Journ. Chem. Soc, xxxix. (1881) pp. 326-31. 



t Bull. Soc. Chim., xxxv. p. 390. See Journ. Chora. Soc. (Abstracts), xl. 

 (1881) p. G32. 



Ser. 2.— Vol. I. 3 F 



