704 The American Naturalist, [ August, 
Probably Sternberg was right in stating” that the etiology 
of small-pox is still undetermined. Still, some of the investiga- 
tions above cited furnish very interesting points which are of 
value to those who wish to reinvestigate the matter. 
Micrococci of different shape and characters are, however, 
not the only bacteria which have been observed in small-pox 
and vaccinia. A few statements point towards the presence of 
other bacteria, namely, bacilli. Crookshank (loc. cit.) mentions 
that he has found Bacillus pyocyaneus, B. subtilis, different 
Bacterium-forms (one yellow), and a bacillus resembling 
Bacillus subtilis. Martin® has described a bacillus of vaccine 
lymph. The ends of this bacillus are round or square, and it 
may form micrococci (!) which are arranged in chains of five 
or six cells. The author admits the possibility that both a 
bacillus and a micrococcus were present. 
Coze, Feltz and Baudoin have demonstrated the presence 
of bacilli in the blood of variola; upon injections of this blood 
into the veins of a rabbit, the typical symptoms of variola were 
produced. 
Insheep-pox lymph examined by Zimmermann” three bacilli 
were found one of which had almost the same appearance as 
Bacillus amylobacter. A second investigation showed the pres- 
ence of a short-limbed bacillus; Micrococcus vaccine (or variole) 
occurred in both series of investigations. All of Plaut’s plates 
demonstrate bacilli which he was able to cultivate. 
Toussaint’s studies which also resulted in a discovery of 
bacilli are mentioned by Plaut (loc. cit.) 
In April, 1894, vaccine “points” were procured from Dr. 
Hewitt’s Vaccine Station at Red Wing, Minn. A watery dilu- 
tion of the lymph adhering to the “point” contained, when 
examined by 1160 diam. m. (Bausch and Lomb, Oc. C2, Obj. 
rz Oil imm.) a few amorphous bodies which assume a yellow 
color with IIKa, a few round bodies and irregular masses 
(probably nuclei or fragments of cells), dispersed in a clear 
fluid. I could distinguish no micrococci or other bacteria, and 
"° Manual of Bacteriology, 1892, 528-529. 
* Boston Med. and Surg. Journal, CXXIX, 589, 1893. 
*! Fide Magnin-Sternberg, Bacteria, 1884; 410, 464. 
* Plaut, Das organisirte Contagium der Schafpocken, 1882; 22. 
