ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
87 
gated. Thus the examples which have been quoted as exceptions to 
phagocytosis (mouse septicaemia, diphtheria, anthrax in Crustacea and 
Mollusca) are found on close examination to support the author’s theory. 
Moreover, the cholera peritonitis of guinea-pigs, in which degenerated 
vibrios are found in the peritoneal fluid of hypervaccinated animals, 
phenomena described by R. Pfeiffer, is explained away as being due to 
leucocytic products modified by the hypervaccination. The author 
agrees with A. Kossel about the bactericidal action of nucleic acid, which 
is only exerted in acid media ; but he points out that intracellular destruc- 
tion of microbes also takes place in alkaline media. Phagocytes not only 
react against microbic invasion, but against intoxications from various 
poisons, e. g. diphtherin, tetanin, ricin, abrin, venin. 
Immunity, therefore, is the result of cell activity, and the most im- 
portant agents in this respect are phagocytes. 
Immunification of Guinea-pigs to Hog-Cholera.* — Mr. E. A. de 
Schweinitz immunified guinea-pigs to hog-cholera in the following 
way: — Six fresh guinea-pigs were subcutaneously injected with 3 ccm. of 
blood-serum of guinea-pigs which had been immunified by means of 
albumoses obtained from hog-cholera cultures, and then inoculated with 
virulent cultures. In 10 days’ time these and also six control animals 
were alike subcutaneously injected with 0*1 ccm. of a 24 hours’ old cul- 
ture of hog-cholera. All the control animals perished with characteristic 
lesions of hog-cholera, numerous bacilli being found in liver and spleen. 
Of the animals experimented on, four remained quite well, while the other 
two died a long time (5 weeks and 3 months) after the inoculation, no 
micro-organisms being found in the viscera, and no specific pathological 
changes. 
While 10-15 ccm. of a sterilized culture, or a similar quantity of 
albumose, were required to produce immunity, 3 ccm. of blood-serum 
sufficed to produce the same effect. 
In the experiments where guinea-pigs were inoculated with 0*1 ccm. 
of virulent hog-cholera cultures, and then treated with serum of immu- 
nified guinea-pigs (0*5 ccm. two days after infection), the animals 
survived the controls for 7-10 days, one indeed recovering permanently. 
The quantity of leucocytes in the blood rose alike in the control 
animals, those treated after infection, and those that received an immu- 
nizing injection, sinking to the normal number if the animal were to 
remain healthy, or diminishing till death. 
Bacillar Diseases of the Vine. — Sigg. G. Del Guercio and S. 
Baroni j attribute the disease which attacks choice kinds of vine in Italy, 
and which is known as gommosi bacillare, to the presence of a bacteriform 
Schizomycete. 
M. L. Man gin J finds, in vines attacked by this disease, a peculiar 
structure which he describes as “ gummy thyllae.” They are thyllae in 
which the membrane, instead of forming hernioid projections into adjacent 
cells, becomes disorganized into a gummy exudation. He considers, 
therefore, the existence of a true “ bacillar gummosis ” to be doubtful. 
* Philadelphia Med. News, 1892, pp. 346-7. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. 
Parasitenk., xvi. (1894) p. 763. f Nuov. Giorn. Bot. ltal., i. (1894) pp. 221 5 
t Comptes Rendus, cxix. (1894) pp. 514-6. 
