ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
765 
Streptococcus and Influenza.* — M. Vaillard states that in two fatal 
cases of influenza he has found Streptococcus in the blood and organs : 
in one case, in blood of the cephalic vein and in the lung-juice ; in the 
other case, in which there were pleurisy and pericarditis, in the peri- 
cardium, in the blood, and in the splenic juice. These two make alto- 
gether six fatal cases in which the author has found this micro-organism, 
either alone or associated with Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus. In the 
excreta and secreta of the living the Streptococcus was always found, but 
never in the blood. Inoculation of white mice with this Streptococcus 
proved fatal in 3-5 days, and it was afterwards found in the blood and 
in the organs. 
Inoculation in rabbits resulted in redness with oedema ; and if in- 
jected into the circulation death in 8-14 days ensued, changes being 
found in the pleurae, pericardium, or in the lungs. The author considers 
the Streptococcus to be identical with S. erysipelatis. 
Bacteria with Mycele.j — Herr E. Almquist describes three different 
bacteria belonging to the genus Streptothrix Cohn, which were found 
to possess characters common to fungi and schizomycetes. 
The first of these was isolated from a gelatin cultivation of some 
unknown bacillus. It liquefied gelatin, forming thin flakes, which con- 
sisted of very fine non-septate branched filaments about 1 /jl thick. 
Grown in bouillon, the mycele produced small round bacillus-like cells, 
from which again a new mycele sprang up. 
The second Streptothrix was found in a plate-cultivation of pus from the 
base of the brain of a gunner dead of cerebro-spinal meningitis. These 
slowly liquefied gelatin, forming crusts, which consisted of long non-arti- 
culated branched filaments 1/2-1 p, thick. The filaments develope small 
oval or cuboidal cells (spores). These germinate in such a way that 
from either end one to four processes may sprout out, developing into 
filaments. The third kind was found in the water supply of Goteborg. 
On gelatin and agar it formed thin wrinkled whitish crusts, which 
consisted of delicate filaments. This variety did not produce any 
bacillus-like cells, but was characterized by many small branches 
interposed between the filaments. 
Influence of Sunlight on Micro-organisms.^ — Sig. S. Pansini, in 
experimenting with sunlight in order to ascertain the influence exerted 
on the growth and development of micro-organisms, used cultivations of 
Bacillus prodigiosus violaceus, pyocyaneus , anthracis, cliolerse , murisepticus, 
and Staphylococcus pyogenes alhus.' Recent inoculations and mature 
cultivations of these bacteria in agar or potato were exposed to sunlight, 
some of the tubes being protected from the solar action by being covered 
over with a blackened bell-jar. The temperature to which the tubes 
were exposed varied usually from 30° to 40°, but occasionally 45° were 
registered. 
The conclusions arrived at were that even diffused light has a retard- 
* La Semaine Med., 1890, No. 7. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., vii. 
(1890) p. 408. 
f Zeitschr. f. Hygiene, viii. (1890) pp. 189-97. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. 
Parasitenk., viii. (1890) pp. 141-2. 
X Rivista d’lgiene, 1889. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., viii. 
(1890) pp. 107-9. 
1890. 3 H 
