171 



ture is not yet determined. A slightly acid medium is more 

 suitable than an alkaline one. 



Here again a few words are needed about the nature of 

 intra- and extacellular granules. Our observation is not yet 

 sufficient to draw a positive conclusion whether they are spores, 

 as recently stated by Hansen in contradiction to the theory of 

 Brefeld H. Moeller, &c. Hansen was successful in following up 

 the germinative process of granules contained in some of the 

 zymogenic saccJiaroinyces. According to the staining pro- 

 perty, as already mentioned, the central or internal granule 

 appears to be a nucleus which by further division seems to be 

 transformed into spores. Until the question is definitely settled, 

 we will not say tliey arc really spores, but we are inclined to 

 accept, at least as to free granules, the opinion of Hansen. 



As already mentioned, the saccJiaroniyces are often associat- 

 ed with staphylococcus, diplococcus or streptococcus and certain 

 kinds oi bacilli, which are especially met with in the content of 

 farcy boils and in tiie lymphatic glands. But the occurrence of 

 these bacteria is not constant ; they are generally few in number 

 and in deeper organs they are frequently absent ; they belong 

 mostly to the pyogenic variety. 



According to the result of inoculation most of the experi- 

 mental animals, rats, hares, pigs, &c. seem to be refractory to 

 this saccJiaroinyces. When the horse is inoculated with the 

 pure culture, the result is sometimes the development of nodules 

 and abscesses, in which characteristic saccJiaroniyces can be 

 demonstrated. In many cases, however, there is no positive 

 reaction. 



About these saccJiaroinyces , as far as we know, there is no 

 mention in German literature. Nor does it seem to be known in 

 England or America. In the year 1883 Rivolta and Micellone 

 mentioned a special kind of corpuscle, called by them cryptococ- 

 cus farciininosus, in so-called African farcy or farcitio cripto- 

 coccJiico the \\oYse, but they were ignorant of the biology of 

 that micro-organism. PeucJi, 1888, wrote something dihout Farciii 

 iV Afrique and to the aetiology of that disease he added that 

 " the contagium forms on potato medium a grey white colony, 

 which is different from that of bacillus inalleir Afterwards many 

 Italians attempted culture experiments of cryptococcus found by 



