218 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
cultures are white or yellowish-grey. In grape-sugar bouillon some- 
times fermentation, sometimes not. Sometimes will coagulate milk, at 
other times not. Is pathogenic to mice, rabbits, and guinea-pigs. 
Bacterium coli commune is less thick, rarely forms a capsule, usually 
mobile but sometimes not. Behaves in same way as far as growth on 
gelatin and agar are concerned, but on potato the cultures are brown 
tending to green. Nearly always ferments grape-sugar bouillon. Almost 
always coagulates milk. Pathogenic action on animals the same as 
D. pneumoniae. 
The author also refers to the distinctions between B. coli and B. 
typhosus , and points out that when the former coagulates milk and 
ferments grape sugar it is easily differentiated from B. typhosus. But 
there is a variety of B. coli which does neither, and therefore it would 
be difficult to distinguish between this variety and the bacillus of 
Eberth. 
Microbic Origin of Chorea.* * * § — Dr. C. L. Dana records a case of 
chorea in a man 34 years of age, in the cerebral cortex of whom de- 
generative changes were observed post mortem. An organism very similar 
to Micrococcus lanceolatus was detected in the deeper layers of the pia 
and the superficial layers of the cortex. The author suggests that the 
phenomena of chorea are sometimes to be attributed to a micro-organism. 
Interesting Example of Mixed Culture. | — Herren A. Burri and A. 
Stutzer record an interesting and important example of what may be 
termed symbiosis ; for they have observed that two different species of 
bacteria, when inoculated simultaneously, as a mixed cultivation, on a 
medium of definite composition, excite a lively fermentation, which 
neither of them alone is able to effect. The medium is formed by nitric 
acid or its salts, and the bacteria are Bac. coli commune and another 
bacterium not previously described. Both organisms were isolated from 
horse-dung. The gas produced was free nitrogen. 
Anthrax in Man.$ — Dr. A. Lewin records nine cases of anthrax in 
man. Two of these occurred as malignant pustules on the face, the 
patients recovering after operation, while in the remaining seven oppor- 
tunity was afforded of examining the internal organs. Examination of 
sections of various parts and viscera showed that the distribution of the 
organism was very variable. As a rule, the bacilli were found free, though 
a certain number were observed enclosed in cells. The material was 
hardened in alcohol, and the sections stained on the slide with Kiihne’s 
carbol-methylen blue, the excess of stain being removed by water and 
alcohol. This procedure was found to be superior to other methods, not 
excepting Gram’s. 
Bacteriological Diagnosis of Acne.§ — From examination of come- 
dones, Dr. Hodara has discovered three kinds of microbes of pretty 
regular appearance. These are a coccus, a flask-shaped bacillus, and a 
* Amer. Journ. Med. Sci., cvii. (1894) p. 31. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Para- 
sitenk., xvi. (1894) p. 868. 
f Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., xvi. (1894) pp. 814-7. 
+ Tom. cit., pp. 681-7, 731-7. 
§ Monatshefte f. Prakt. Dermatol., xviii. (1894) No. 1. See Centralbl. f. Bak- 
teriol. u. Parasitenk., xvi. (1894) pp. 666-7. 
