ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY. MICROSCOPY, ETC. 797 



Rabbits inoculated with juice from the tubercles became tuberculous 

 in fifteen to twenty-four days ; while guinea-pigs died in the first ten 

 days, presenting simply a local oedema and swelling of the spleen. The 

 tubercles from the rabbits gave pure cultivations of this bacillus, never 

 that of Koch ; but the blood of both rabbits and guinea-pigs swarmed 

 with the microbe. 



A particular ^joint in the history of this new bacillus relates to the 

 action of the secretions produced in the organism. Far from vaccinating 

 the inoculated animal, these secretions prepare the soil for the multipli- 

 cation of the microbe. 



Relation of the Bacilli of the Aleppo Pine to the living^ tissues.*— 

 M. P. Vuillemin, who had previously demonstrated that the excrescences 

 on the Aleppo pine were due to the penetration of a bacillus into the 

 cambium, has now shown the way in which the microbes arrive there, 

 and what relations they contract with the living elements. On the 

 diseased branches are seen crateriform projections about the size of pins' 

 heads. In the centre of these bosses is a canal, which would seem to 

 have been made by the proboscis of some insect. The tissue of the boss, 

 that which bounds the central canal, is practically cicatricial, and when 

 attacked by the bacillus, the regularity of the healing process is inter- 

 rupted. It would appear that the bacilli gain entrance through the 

 canal, although in the youngest wounds the zoogloea are not in imme- 

 diate contact with the crater. They are, however, close to it, and seem 

 to occujjy exclusively the intercellular spaces ; and in their immediate 

 neighbourhood there is evidence always of considerable inflammation. 

 Owing to the manner in which the cicatrization tends to impede the 

 progress of the development of the bacillus, three varieties of tumour 

 are distinguished: tumours originating from the cambium and from the 

 cortex, and those of a mixed type. la every case the bacilli remain 

 confined between the cells as long as these are alive. Hence it is through 

 the cellulose wall that specific action is exerted, and the history of this 

 disease afibrds support to the doctrine which attributes a toxic influence 

 to the fluids excreted by pathogenic bacteria. 



Cholera Bacillus.f — Dr. D. D. Cunningham has made a series of 

 experiments with the cholera bacillus, in oi der to determine if the microbe 

 be the efficient cause of epidemic cholera. 



The experiments indicate that when introduced into soil and water 

 of very different qualities, the comma bacilli tend to disappear very 

 rapidly. 



The author then proceeds to discuss the theories of Koch and Hueppe, 

 and finally concludes that, " view the question as we may, the paramount 

 importance of local conditions, and the subordinate and secondary role 

 which the comma bacilli must play in reference to epidemic diffusion of 

 cholera, is very evident." 



Preventive Inoculations. J — \Xe can only call attention to Dr. E. 

 Eoux's " Croonian Lecture," which may be recommended as giving a 

 general conspectus of the theories and mode of work of M. Pasteur. 



* Comptes Rendus, cvii. (188S) pp. 1184-6. 



t Scieat. Mem. by Medical Officers of the Army of India, 1889, 20 pp 



X Pioc. Roy. Soc, xlvi. (1881() pp. 154-72. 



