ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 569 



Bacillus or in its vegetative power, nor was there any loss of vaccinal 

 eifect. Still more remarkable, however, is the result of cultivating these 

 innocuous microbes in cultivations only feebly nutrient or under a low 

 pressure, for these recover their toxic powers on small animals ; it 

 remains to be seen whether they cannot be cultivated so as to injure 

 sheep and oxen. 



Hueppe's Bacteriology.* — Dr. F. Hueppe has recently published 

 the fourth edition of his work on the methods of examining Bacteria. 

 The present edition has been revised and improved throughout, and 

 also much enlarged. It contains 434 pages, 2 coloured plates, and 68 

 wood engravings. It is divided into two parts, which respectively deal 

 with the microscopical and experimental technique of the subject. It 

 seems to contain all the necessary information brought up to date. 



Tuberculous Infection of the Fowl-embryo.f — Prof, A. Mafucci 

 gives the following account of an . experiment made on hens' eggs by 

 inoculating them with fowl-tubercle. 



A cultivation from fowl-tubercle was first made on calf's blood - 

 serum, and afterwards mixed with sterilized meat-broth. On June 28, 

 1888, a hen and a guinea-pig were inoculated for control purposes, and 

 at the same time eighteen eggs, which were thereupon put under a 

 brooding hen for incubation. 



The guinea-pig died of tuberculosis in 40 days, and the hen in two 

 and a half months. On July 17 eight chicks came out ; of the rest of the 

 eggs some had not been fertilized, and the others had become rotten. 

 One showed a dead embryo, but this gave no evidence of tubercle or 

 bacilli. The eight chicks were all small and delicate but active, except 

 one, which died 36 hours after hatching oat. Careful examination failed 

 to reveal tubercle bacilli, though some spherical bodies were found 

 among the liver-cells. The second chick died 20 days after hatching, 

 and was much emaciated. Microscopical examination showed tubercle 

 bacilli in nodules in the liver. The third chick died 32 days after 

 hatching, presenting similar appearances to the last ; the fourth chick 

 in 40 days, similar to last ; the fifth in 42 days, the most emaciated of 

 the series; no naked-eye appearances, but microscopical tubercles in 

 liver, lungs, kidneys, stomach, and intestine. The sixth died in 47 days ; 

 tubercles in liver, lungs, and lymphatic elements. The seventh died 

 78 days after hatching ; tubercles evident to naked eye in lungs and 

 liver. The eighth died four and a half months after hatching ; was 

 emaciated and poorly developed in comparison to healthy chicks born 

 at the same time. There were malformations of the skeleton in the 

 sternum, vertebral column, pelvis, beading of the costal cartilage, in fact 

 all the signs of rickets. The liver and lungs showed tubercles, many 

 of which were caseous, and of course bacilli were found on microscopical 

 examination. 



The only inference the author permits himself to draw from the 

 foregoing very interesting experiments is that the tubercle bacillus of 

 fowls, having penetrated the embryo, is not destroyed, but remains viable, 

 and while not absolutely preventing the development of the embryo, 

 produces its serious effects at a later stage. But in order to obtain 

 correct information as to when and how the morbid process is set up, 



* 8vo, Wiesbaden, 1889. 



t Centralbl. f. Bakteriol, u. Parasitenk., v. (1889) pp. 237-41. 



