March 23, 1900.] 



SCIENCE, 



461 



Tables were shown, giving arrangements 

 of the bacteria in groups. 



The necessity of some system of termi- 

 nology for use in descriptive bacteriology 

 was urged, aad a table of definite terms 

 presented. The question of nomenclature 

 of species was discussed. Little or no re- 

 gard has, in many instances, been paid by 

 bacteriologists to the most ordinary rules of 

 botanic nomenclature. This and the lack 

 of knowledge concerning the synonomy of 

 species has led to improper naming. 



This was illustrated by a number of ex- 

 amples. 



A new pathogenic fungus — the sporothrix of 



Schenck: Peofessoe Ltjdwig Hektoen. 



(Read by Dr. Jordan.) 



Schenck has described a case of subcu- 

 taneous, refractory abscesses, caused by a 

 fungus which Erwin F. Smith tentatively 

 assigns to the genus Sporotrichum. 



In the case of a boy, five years old, under 

 the care of Dr. Perkins of Shenandoah, 

 8ava., an identical fungus was found to 

 produce similar, refractory lesions as those 

 described by Schenck ; the process started 

 in an abrasion of the left index finger, 

 caused by a blow with a hammer, and dur- 

 ing the next two to three months over 

 twenty-five abscesses appeared under the 

 skin and forearm. Ultimately, recovery 

 took place. 



The fungus was obtained in pure culture 

 on two different occasions. It grows well 

 in ordinary media, forming in the older 

 agar cultures brownish, wrinkled and folded 

 layers. Gelatin is slowly liquefied, ^r- 

 obic. Thermal death point about 60° C. 

 It has a separate branching mycelium ; 

 clusters of five or six spores appear around 

 the ends of the branches and single spores 

 develop along their sides. The spores are 

 ovate or apiculate, from three to five mi- 

 krons in their longest diameter. Grams 

 stain positive. 



It produces chronic suppuration in the 

 skin of mice and extensive ulcers ; small, 

 chronic abscesses may develop in the ab- 

 dominal lymph glands after subcutaneous 

 injection. In white rats intra-abdominal 

 injection is followed by the development of 

 numerous nodules enclosing small abscesses; 

 the pus is thick and viscid, and contains 

 oval and oblong gram-staining bodies in 

 large numbers, but no thread. Pure cul- 

 tures of the fungus are readily obtainable 

 from lesions both in mice and rats. 



Rabbits, guinea pigs, dogs and pigeons 

 are immune. In guinea pigs and dogs, 

 small subcutaneous abscesses sometimes 

 form after injection under the skin. 



The importance of bacterial tests in the sanitary 



supervision of milk supplies : Maeshall O. 



Leightojt. 



The investigations taken as a basis for 

 this paper were made during the three 

 years ending June, 1899, under the author- 

 ity of the Board of Health of Montclair, 

 N. J. Seventeen dairies were included in 

 the report, the bacterial tests in each being 

 confined to the determination of ' numbers 

 per cubic centimeter.' 



The average results for each dairy during 

 the whole term divided themselves into 

 three classes : First, those dairies having 

 an average below 15,000 ; second, those be- 

 tween 40,000 and 70,000, and third, those 

 above 180,000. 



Comparing the foregoing results with the 

 dairies themselves, as shown by stereopticon 

 views of each, it was found that the dairies 

 in class No. 1 were of the most improved 

 type, in which the utmost cleanliness pre- 

 vailed. Representing class No. 2, poorly 

 equipped dairies were shown, in which the 

 owners plainly endeavored to do their ut- 

 most with the crude means at hand to pro- 

 duce a pure product, but were unable to 

 provide proper sanitary aj)pliances to aid 

 them ; while class No. 3 represented those 



