226 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Phagocytes.* — Dr. W. Osier, in discussing the doctrine of phago- 
cytes, and the theory according to winch they play an important part in 
protecting the organism against the invasion of germs, declines to 
express a positive opinion of the relations between the phagocytes and 
bacteria, on the ground that our present knowledge is insufficient. An 
experience of 150 cases of malaria, in which the behaviour of leucocytes 
to the various forms of haematozoa and the manner in which the leuco- 
cytes pick up the pigment granules were observed, shows that here and 
there leucocytes containing amoeboid forms of the parasites are met with. 
But the absence of any considerable number of white cells containing 
parasites prevents the acceptance of the hypothesis of aggression. It is 
more probable that the pigment granules are taken up after the disin- 
tegration of the parasites, or that the phagocytic action takes place 
where more favourable conditions exist, as in the spleen or in the 
marrow of bone (Metschnikoff). On the ground of examinations of 
spleen, liver, and marrow, the author concedes an increased activity of 
the leucocytes, but one not sufficient to form a basis for a theory, and 
he concludes that while phagocytosis is, in the animal kingdom, a 
widespread and important physiological process, and while it un- 
doubtedly plays an important part in many pathological conditions, the 
question whether the white cells possess an actual militant function 
against the micro-organisms of disease must at present be considered as 
unanswered. 
Bacterial Disease of Corn.l — Mr. T. J. Burrill has from 1881-1889 
observed a disease which attacks young corn, and frequently causes 
great devastation. The first indication is a dwarfish wasted appearance 
of the plant. The condition of the soil seems to play no unimportant 
part in the spread of the disease, for the author was able to determine 
that in a large rye-field, of which one part had been a reclaimed marsh, 
the plants herein were diseased, while in the drier portions there was 
scarcely any disease. The plants attacked stop growing, become yellow, 
dark slimy spots appear on stalk, leaf, and root, and then they soon die. 
Microscopical examination of the dark slimy masses, which occur 
within and without the plant, shows that they contain a large quantity 
of rod-shaped bacteria and others of a spheroidal shape, both varieties 
being of one and the same species. 
These bacteria were found to develope easily at ordinary tempera- 
tures, but above 36° C. their growth ceased. At first independent 
motion was seen, but later observations failed to verify this. They do 
not liquefy gelatin. 
In fluid media the individual elements are larger than in solid 
media. Their breadth is about 0*65 /x, and they vary in length from 
0 • 8-1 • 6 /X. Spore-formation was never observed. 
Bacillus of Grouse Disease. J — Prof. E. Klein communicates some 
further facts relative to the bacillus of grouse disease. He had 
* New York Med. Record, xxxv. (1889) p. 393. Cf. Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. 
Parasitenk., vii. (1890) pp. 183-4. 
t University of Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station, Champaign, 1889, 
Bull. No. 6, pp. 165-73. Cf. Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., vii. (1890) 
pp. 70-1. 
X Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., vii. (1890) pp. 81-3. 
