302 



Profs. Percy Frankland and Marshall Ward. 



sense ; for they show quite clearly that (1) the oxygenation and 

 movement of the water for six days in diffused light does not sensibly 

 reduce the anthrax if it passes into the spore stage, and (2) does not 

 by any means eliminate the element of a struggle with normal water 

 forms. 



We regard the subject as well worth more exact study, and espe- 

 cially along lines to determine more accurately the relative direct 

 effects on the various organisms in the water. 



The following series was designed as a continuation of this 

 inquiry. 



One litre of fresh Thames water was infected with 5 c.c. of a 

 gelatine culture of virulent anthrax, the culture being one day old, 

 and distributed into three flasks A, B, and C, in equal quantities. 

 The flask A was aerated, as before, B stood quietly by its side : these 

 two flasks were exposed to ordinary diffused daylight, while C stood 

 quiet in a south window, exposed to what sunlight could fall on it in 

 November. 



At the outset, we examined the infected water, and found the 

 proportions of organisms as follows : — Water organisms = from 370 

 to 450 per 1 c.c, and anthrax from 150,000 upwards per 1 c.c. 



After seven days, our examination gave the following results, 

 tabulated as averages : — 



State of flask. 



Number 

 of 



drops in 

 culture. 



Total 

 bacteria per 

 1 c.c. 

 original. 



Proportion 

 of anthrax to 

 other 

 organisms. 



Remarks. 



Aerated 7 days. . . . 



1 



4,000,000 



1 : 35 



The numbers -were 











so enormous that 



Non-aerated 7 days 



1 



6,000,000 



1 : 50 



we could make 







nothing of the 



Insolated 7 days. . . 



1 



6,000,000 



9 



3-drop cultures. 



After taking the samples for direct culture, we placed similar 

 samples of each flask at 60° C. for twenty-four hours, and made plates 

 again, with the following results : — 



