Report on the Bacteriology of Water. 



219 



Bacillus anthracis. — The vegetative rodlets of this form are inva- 

 riably found to be less able to hold their own than the spores, a 

 result quite intelligible from what is known of this well-studied 

 Schizomycete. All agree as to the general fact that the spores of 

 anthrax may live in sterile water for months without injury, provided 

 the temperature is not too high. 



The Streptococcus of erysipelas appears to be remarkably susceptible 

 to immersion in water ; it was found to be almost immediately 

 destroyed in distilled water, and survived only five days in sterile 

 sewage and drinking water. 



Micrococcus tetragenus, according to Straus and Dubarry, can main- 

 tain itself for 18 — 30 days in various waters, whilst Meade Bolton 

 gives it a much shorter lease of life. 



Bacillus tuberculosis lived for more than 115 days in distilled water, 

 and 95 in river water, according to Straus and Dubarry. Cornil* 

 kept it alive in Seine water for 70 days. 



Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus is said to live for more than 19 days 

 in river water (Straus and Dubarry). 



The same observers give more than 50 days for the bacillus of 

 glanders, 30 days for the micrococcus of fowl-cholera, 17 days for the 

 bacillus of swine-plague, and 20 days for that of mouse-septicsemia. 

 Ferrarif found this form alive for several weeks in distilled water. 



Appendix A. 



The Literature which concerns the several Questions treated of in this 



Report. 



We have added a short note on the scope and importance of some 

 of the works, so far as it appears useful to do so ; at the same time, it 

 should be borne in mind that the relative value of any particular 

 paper may depend on many circumstances incidental to the particular 

 purpose the reader has in view, and our opinion is only intended to 

 express what we regard as the chief feature of the work from the 

 points of view in this Report. 



Holz, " Exp. Unters. liber den Nachweis der Typhus-bacillen " (' Zeitsch. f . Hyg.,' 

 vol. 8, 1890, p. 143). 



* Quoted by Woodhead, ' Bacteria and their Products,' p. 211. 

 " Ueber das Yerhalten von pathogen. Mikroorg., &c." (' Oentralbl. f. Bakt.,' 1888 i 

 vol. 4, p. 744). 



