328 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
in vigour, exhibiting certain characters more strongly, or even acquiring 
new characters. Cultures of 9 species died ; of 6 became less vigorous ; 
of 14 were constant ; while 9 became more vigorous, with more positive 
or new characters. 
Bacillus capsulatus aerogenes.* * * § — Prof. E. K. Dunham records five 
fatal cases of infection with B. capsulatus aerogenes, the special symp- 
toms of which are mortification attended with blackening of the affected 
parts, considerable emphysema from decomposition gas, and the absence 
of pus. The bacillus is a large straight rod about 0 • 9 /x in diameter, 
with rounded ends. It is easily stained. In the subcutaneous fluid of 
animals it possesses a capsule, but not on artificial media. It is a motion- 
less anaerobe which produces gas (about two-thirds H and one-third C0 2 ). 
On blood-serum it forms spores, which cause a central bulging of the 
rodlet. It coagulates milk in 24 hours, producing gas and souring the 
milk. It grows well in bouillon to which 1 per cent, of glucose is added. 
Experiments on animals with pure cultures gave positive results, the 
animals dying within 24 hours, with development of much gas in the 
tissues and organs. 
Action of Currents of High Frequency on the Virulence of Strepto- 
cocci. | — M. L. Dubois shows that electrisation of cultures of Streptococcus 
reduces the vitality and virulence of this microbe. The apparatus used 
for electrising the serum cultures was that employed by d’Arsonval and 
Charrin. After eight daily exposures of 20 minutes, the effect of inocu- 
lating 2 ccm. of culture was practically nil. The effect produced was due 
to attenuation of the toxin, and not to the formation of antitoxin. 
Thermophilous Cladothrix.J — Herr Kedzior describes a species of 
Cladothrix which grows between the limits of 35° and 65°, the optimum 
temperature being 55°. It forms spores which are very resistant to heat, 
insolation, desiccation, and disinfectants. The original source was 
sewage water. Cultivated in equal bulks of the water and bouillon 
. at 55°, it turned the medium turbid, and in 16 hours formed flakes from 
which the thermophilous bacteria could be isolated by plate cultures. 
Bacteria of Conjunctivitis. — According to Dr. Th. Axenfeld,§ con- 
junctivitis is commonly of three kinds, viz. the acute, caused by the 
Koch-Weeks bacillus, the gonorrhoeal, and the chronic, produced by a 
diplobacillus. The latter organism, with which the author is principally 
concerned, is about 2 /x long by 1 /x broad, usually occurs in pairs, has 
much resemblance to the bacillus of Friedlaender, and is easily stained, 
though decolorised by Gram’s method. It grows best at incubation 
temperature in media having a distinctly alkaline reaction and containing 
some human body-juice, such as ascitic, hydrocele, or ovarian fluid. It is 
essentially aerobic, is devoid of movement, does not form spores, and 
liquefies the medium, though slowly. Experiments made on the human 
subject gave positive results, the incubation period being four days. 
* Bull. Johns Hopkins Hosp., viii. (1897) pp. 68-74. 
t Comptes Rendus, cxxiv. (1897) pp. 788-90. 
X Arch. f. Hygiene, xxvii. No. 4. See Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., 2 ,s Abb, iii. 
(1897) p. 154. 
§ Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., l t0 Abb, xxi. (1897) pp. 1-9 (1 pi.). 
