1895.) Vegetable Physiology. 933 
Order III.—Margaritacee. Capillitium not consisting of free elaters, 
nor combined into an elastic network. Gen. Margarita, Dianema, 
Prototrichia. 
Order IV.—Lycogalacer. Sporangia forming an ethalium, capillit- 
ium consisting of smooth or wrinkled branching colorless tubes. Gen. 
Injeogala, 
VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY. 
Bactericidal Action of Metals.—Under the title, “ The effects 
of various metals on the growth of certain Bacteria,” Dr. Meade Bol- 
ton, formerly Associate in Bacteriology in Johns Hopkins University, 
and now bacteriologist to the City Board of Health of Philadelphia, 
contributes an interesting study to the International Medical Magazine 
for December, 1894. Following up the experiments of Nägeli, Miller 
and Behring, he has tested the bactericidal effect of various metals 
The following are some of his conclusions, stated as nearly as possible 
in his own words. For the most part agar plates were used and bits 
of metal were put on as soon as the agar was inoculated with the 
micro-organism and poured. In some cases the metals were absolutely 
pure, in some cases they were commercial but marked chemically pure, 
in one set brass foil was used, and a few preliminary experiments were 
made with impure metals. Copper—lIn all cases there is around the 
metal a clear zone, in some cases narrower, in others wider, and then a 
narrow zone where there is increased growth. This intensified zone - 
does not have as sharply marked borders as with certain other metals. 
Both the clear zone and the intensified zone vary appreciably in width, 
even with the same micro-organism. Tests were made with Staphylococ- 
cus pyogenes aureus and the colon, typhoid, cholera, and anthrax 
bacilli. Brass.—The zones obtained with the different micro-organ- 
isms were similar to those obtained with copper. Silver—The results 
with this metal were somewhat less uniform than with copper and 
brass. The intensified zone is better marked with silver than with cop- 
per or brass, but is also narrower. In some cases with anthrax no 
clear zone was to be seen, in others there was a wide zone of lessened 
1 This department is edited by Erwin F. Smith, Department of Agriculture, 
Washington, D. C 
