362 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



burotto is fitted to an orifico in the digester and placed in a special 

 wool-lined cradle, so that the lower end may bo strongly inclined 

 dowTi wards ; the heated vapour is allowed to traverse it for half an 

 hour, a pinch-cock is then applied to the lower caoutchouc tube, and its 

 open orifice closed by a short glass rod, and the upper end similarly 

 closed by a tube plugged with asbestos and having a pinch-cock. It is 

 then fixed to a vertical support, the glass rod at the lower end is replaced 

 by a sterilized canula, and the upper end after removal of the glass 

 tube is closed by sterilized asbestos ; the trochar canula is then passed 

 through the asbestos plug after removal of the top cotton plug into 

 one of the proved standard flasks containing the broth. The lower 

 pinch-cock is opened and the fluid runs into the burette and readily 

 fills it ; the pinch-cocks are then opened and the fluid allowed to 

 descend to about two-tenths below zero. To charge the burette with 

 the water, the large open end of the collecting bayonet-tube has a 

 small caoutchouc ball fixed to it, whilst the drawn-out narrow end, after 

 due precautions, is passed through the asbestos plug (taking care not 

 to wet the plug), and some of the water allowed to flow out, the pinch- 

 cocks again closed and the fluids mixed, then transferred into the 

 small capped flasks which are then placed in the culture stove for a 

 month. The canula in use must always be placed in a sterilized 

 space or covering and not be heated during the transfers. 



Since the above was published, Dr. Fol has made sundry altera- 

 tions, such as stoppering the necks of the tubes by pushing the asbestos 

 plug in by a short straight funnel tube, like a very short test-tube with 

 a small hole in the bottom, this little hollow stopper being itself 

 plugged with sterilized cotton, so that the charging by the narrow 

 trochar canula can be more easily accomplished, and the plug remain 

 equally effectual. Eeliable results can only be obtained by employ- 

 ing the greatest care in the details. 



Discrimination of Bacillus leprae and B. tuberculosis.*— P. 

 Baumgarten describes four methods of fuchsin staining by which 

 these Bacilli, though nearly identical in form, may be readily distin- 

 guished. By all the processes the B. lejprce are stained red, while 

 the B. tuherculosis are unstained. 



Examining Bacteria.f — E. Thurston strongly advocates the exa- 

 mination of bacteria, whenever it is possible, in their natural state, 

 so that their appearances and characteristics may be observed when 

 they have not been subjected to the action of heat or chemical 

 reagents. In many instances species which are undistinguishablo 

 from one another microscopically can be easily recognized by their 

 appearance (colour, consistence, &c.) and mode of growth in culti- 

 vating media ; and for this reason microscopical examination should 

 always be combined with artificial cultivation. 



* Zeitschr. f. Wiss. Mikr., i. a 884) pp. 367-71. 

 t Journ. Quek. Micr. Club, ii. (1885; pp. 121-4. 



