ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
847 
various heights (up to 1*65 m.), and the dust on the floor blown about. 
The dust-covered gelatin was then liquefied and poured into sterilized 
tubes. In 3-4 days the presence of tetanus bacilli was manifested. 
The injection of a few drops of this cultivation produced acute tetanus 
in two rabbits. 
After the diffusion of the spores through the air had thus been 
proved, several rabbits were introduced into the same place. The backs 
of these rabbits were cut in places so that deep wounds 14-16 cm. square 
in size were made. The dust on the floor was then stirred up. Several 
of the rabbits died of typical tetanus. 
These experiments are intended to prove that tetanus spores are 
deposited not only on floors, but on the walls of rooms ; and hence, 
when tetanus breaks out in surgical sick rooms, it is necessary that not 
only the floors, but also the walls should be carefully disinfected. 
Earthworms and the Bacilli of Tubercle.* — MM. Lortet and 
Despeignes have found that if earthworms take up tubercle bacilli, they 
will remain for months in an infectious condition, and it is therefore 
concluded that these animals play a part in the aetiology of tuberculosis. 
The authors claim to be the first to have shown that it is possible to 
infect an invertebrate animal with tuberculosis. 
Morphological and Cultivation Characters of the Influenza 
Bacillus. f — Sig. A. Bruschettini records the following morphological 
and cultural characters of this microbe. On oblique agar it developes in 
small dewdrop-like colonies, which may become confluent so as to form 
a complete overlay. 
In stroke cultivations on agar plates small flat yellowish colonies 
develope in 4-5 days at 37°. On gelatin-, pepton-, and glycerin-blood- 
serum there are formed numerous colonies ; but these are less trans- 
parent than those on agar. In serum puncture cultivations development 
takes place only along the puncture, and the colonies are largest and 
most numerous at the deepest part of the puncture. In rabbit’s blood 
the growth was excellent, both with and without air. In bouillon the 
bacillus only grew in the absence of air, and in gelatin-puncture cultures 
only a few colonies developed when air was admitted, while when air 
was excluded the growth was copious. 
On gelatin plates small round yellowish colonies appear in about 
six days. As these grow older they become brownish, their edges 
uneven, and their surface rough. On agar the influenza bacillus usually 
resembles an elongated Fraenkel’s diplococcus ; in rabbit’s blood or on 
serum the shape is a well-marked rodlet, which may form short 
chains. 
In gelatin both forms are commingled, while in bouillon the diplo- 
cocci predominate. Some involution forms were observed ; these were 
only stainable at the ends, and at times one end was expanded. 
The bacillus is motionless, and stains well with Loeffler’s methylen- 
blue (used warm) and dilute Ziehl’s solution. 
* La Semaine Med., 1892, No. 5. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., xii. 
(1892) p. 36. 
t La Riforma Med., 1892, No. 66. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., 
xii. (1892) pp. 34-5. 
