Miscellaneous. 389 



Buller, M.D. ; Thursday, March 24th, " The Digestive Sys- 

 tem," by W. H. Kingston, M.D., D.C.L. 



The regular monthly meeting took place on Monday 

 evening, February 28th, 188*7, Sir fm. Dawson occupying 

 the chair. 



Minutes of previous meeting were read and approved, 

 and the minutes of meeting of Council were also read. 



Mr. Ernest Ingersoll was proposed for membership. 



The Committee appointed to confer with the Local Gov- 

 ernment in regard to the annual grant, reported progress. 



Mr. F. Bain's paper on " A Permian Moraine in Prince 

 Edward Island" was read by Sir Wm. Dawson, and Mr. 

 F. B. Caulfield followed with an extended account of 

 "Canadian Orthoptera." 



A vote of thanks having been passed to the author of 

 each paper, the meeting adjourned. 



Miscellaneous. 



Bacteria in Drinking Water. — Mr. Meade Bolton has contri- 

 buted an important paper on this subject to Koch and Pfluger's 

 Zeitschrift fur Hygiene. He finds that in ordinary spring water, 

 bacteria are always present and are capable of multiplying in it. 

 Among these may be specially mentioned Micrococcus aquatilis, 

 occurring as cocci collected into small irregular heaps, and Bacillus 

 erythrosporus, distinguished by its spores having a reddish brown 

 sheen, and the presence of a greenish pigment without any deli- 

 quescence of the gelatine in which it was cultivated. Both these 

 bacteria multiply with extraordinary rapidity in water, the quality 

 of the water and the amount of organic and inorganic substances 

 contained in it appearing to have no effect on the reproduction of 

 the microbe, which is, however, materially promoted by a rise of 

 temperature- It took place considerably quicker at 35° than at 20°. 

 These bacteria are not pathogenic. 



On the other hand, the author found that pathogenic bacteria, 

 when introduced into spring water, never multiply, but disappear 

 after a time varying in lengh according to the species and the 

 temperature, and according as to whether the species produces 

 resting spores or not. The spores of Bacillus antheracis had not 

 lost their vitality in a year and a day ; those of typhus fever were 

 Still active after a month but not after ten and a half months. The 



