ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
241 
perature in glass vessels. Under these conditions the movements of the 
spirilla soon ceased, the microbes died, their bodies degenerated, and 
finally disappeared. Cover-glass preparations made from such blood 
showed Spiroclisetse in leucocytes. As phagocytosis was not observed in 
the blood of patients or of apes suffering from relapsing fever, the author 
concludes that leucocytes can only attack spirilla successfully when the 
latter are enfeebled. Observations on splenectomised apes are alluded 
to, but the results are not yet published. An interesting observation 
made by the author, namely, that spirilla are demonstrable within the 
bodies of bugs, led to the suggestion that the disease might be transferred 
through the agency of these insects. 
Bacillus forming Butyric Acid from Glycerol.* * * § — Dr. 0. Emmer- 
ling isolated from cow-dung by Fritz’s method a bacillus which is 
named B. boocopricus. It is very similar to B. subtilis, and grows well 
on gelatin. With beef-broth it does not form indol. With glycerol at 
36°, in the presence of calcium carbonate, methylic alcohol, acetic acid, 
butyric acid, and traces of formic and succinic acids, are produced. 
From grape-sugar, ethylic alcohol and lactic acid are produced. 
Pigment-forming Micrococcus from Red Milk.j — Dr. G. Keferstein 
describes a coccus which imparts a reddish hue to milk. The colour 
first appears five or six days after inoculation, and attains its maximum 
degree in about two weeks. The coccus grows slowly, but best on agar 
at 22° C. The formation of the pigment is dependent on the presence 
of air. On gelatin the colonies are small and rose-coloured, afterwards 
deepening in hue ; the medium is not liquefied. The cocci have no special 
arrangement, and are easily stained by the usual methods. The coccus 
is not pathogenic to mice, and is resistant to dry heat. 
Influence of Carbonic Acid on the Growth of, and Toxin-formation, 
by Diphtheria Bacilli.}: — it is usually held that bacteria thrive best on 
faintly alkaline media ; the medium, however, is only alkaline at first ; for 
as soon as germination begins the alkalinity diminishes, and finally gives, 
place to acidity. According to the experiments made with diphtheria, 
bacilli by Herr N. P. Schierbeck, an alkaline reaction, even of minimum 
degree, is positively harmful, while an acid reaction of the medium 
exerts a favourable influence, provided that there be free carbonic acid 
present. When C0 2 is absent, or when the reaction of the medium is 
neutral, the author found that bacterial development was far less than 
with C0 2 and an acid reaction. Under the influence of C0 2 toxin forma- 
tion appeared to be more rapid, and the contradictory results obtained' 
by different observers relative to toxin formation under the influence of 
currents of air appear to be explained by the author’s experiments. 
Pathogenic Bacillus found in Ice-Creams and Cheese.§ — MM. Y. 
C. Vaughan and G. D. Perkins found in ice-cream and cheese a bacillus 
which grows aerobically and anaerobically. Numerous persons who had 
* Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Geaell., xxix. (1896) pp. 2726-7. See Journ. Chera. Soc. r 
1897, Abstr., p. 113. f Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par , l te Abt., xxi. (1897) pp. 177-9. 
X Arch. f. Hygiene, xxvii. No. 4. See Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., l te Abt., xxi. 
(1897) pp. 165-6.' 
§ Arch. f. Hygiene, xxvii. No. 4. See Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., 2‘ e Abt., ii.. 
(1896) pp. 799-800. 
