256 
form, in which the whole lymphatic apparatus 
appears to be diseased in a peculiar manner; a 
septico-pyzemic form, with metastases to internal 
organs ; and primary plague-pneumonia, a lob- 
ular pneumonia with quite characteristic ap- 
pearances. The mode of entrance of the infec- 
tion seems mostly to be the skin, more rarely 
the lungs and the tonsils, never the intestinal 
canal. The Yersin-Kitasato bacillus is certainly 
the exciting cause of the disease ; it can be ob- 
tained pure from the organs as well as from the 
blood. The Commissioners were unable to satisfy . 
themselves that Haffkine’s serum injections had 
any effect. They considered it improbable that 
the plague could find a footing in Europe. 
THE commission on the plague under the 
direction of Professor Koch has also issued its 
report. It states, according to the London 
Times, that the plague bacillus outside the 
human body or certain animals has very brief 
vitality. Pure cultures with which experiments 
were made were killed by sublimates at boiling 
temperature immediately, by mineral acids in 
five minutes, by a solution of 1 per cent. of car- 
bolic acid in ten minutes, and by milk of lime 
exposed to sunlight in one hour. The duration 
of the life of the bacillus was found to be from 
eight to ten days at the most. Rats were found 
to be in the highest degree susceptible and to 
be spreading the plague germs and communica- 
ting them to human beings. For experiments 
on immunity Yersin serum was used with apes. 
Its protective power in the case of brown apes 
did not exceed eight days. Strong injections of 
serum proved to be of unquestionable curative 
efficacy. Haffkine’s system of inoculation, 
which was applied to 1,400 patients, is said, 
contrary to the report of the Austrian Commis- 
sion quoted above, to have showed undoubted 
protective results, although a number of the 
patients were taken ill in consequence of the 
inoculation. 
REGULATIONS have been issued by the Ger- 
man government for the sale of Professor 
Koch’s new tuberculin, under which name the 
new specific will be sold by chemists in phials 
containing one millilitre at Marks 8.50 and in 
phials containing five millilitres at Marks 42.50. 
The tuberculin will only be given to certified 
SCIENCE. 
[N.S. Von. VI. No. 137. 
medical men or to those provided with an au- 
thorization from such. 
A RESOLUTION has been submitted to the 
municipal council of Paris requiring families 
to furnish every two months a medical certifi- 
cate stating that infants under one year haye 
been cared for in accordance with hygienic 
rules. : 
UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. 
THE full text of the government bill with re- 
spect to the University of London is published 
in the issue of the Times for July 24th. The 
Commissioners are Lord Davey, Dr. Mandell, 
Lord Bishop of London, Lord Lister, Sir Wil- 
liam Roberts, M.D., Sir Owen Roberts, Pro- 
fessor Jebb and Mr. E. H. Busk. The Com- 
missioners are required to make statutes and 
regulations for the University of London in 
general accordance with the recommendations 
of the Cowper Commission. The Commission- 
ers are to be superseded at the end of 1898 by 
a Senate of the University consisting of the 
Chancellor and other representative members. 
The Senate has entire conduct of the University, 
it only being provided that : 
(a) No religious test shall be adopted, and no ap- 
plicant for a University appointment shall be at any 
disadvantage on the ground of religious opinions ; 
(6) No procedure to a higher degree shall be al- 
lowed without examination or other adequate test, 
nor shall any honorary or ad eundem degree be con- 
ferred unless the Senate, in exceptional cases, think 
fit to confer such a degree on a teacher of the Uni- 
versity ; 
(ce) No disability shall be imposed on the ground 
of sex. 
A LAw passed by the last Legislature of the 
State of Illinois appropriated to the State Uni- 
versity the sum of $456,000, lost to the Univer- 
sity by the defalcation of the former Treasurer. 
THE faculty of sciences of the University of 
Paris has been authorized to give a certificate 
for higher studies in physical geography. 
A NEw technical school at Northwich, built 
by Sir Joseph Verdin at a cost of £12,000, was 
formerly opened on July 24th. 
Ir is proposed to establish at Shanghai a uni- 
versity for the education of the Chinese in West- 
ern art, science and literature. 
