ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MIOliOSCOPY, ETC. 219 
small bacillus. The small bacilli are best shown by Nuna’s inethylen- 
blue stain. They are on the average about 0 * 7 p long and 0*3 p broad. 
These exist in very large numbers in the central part of the comedo. 
The flask-shaped bacilli (Malassez’s spores) were first found by 
Malassez in Pityriasis capitis and also by Unna in Eczema sebosa. They 
exist as saprophytes on the surface of the comedones. In shape they 
are very variable, sometimes being rodlets, sometimes cocci, sometimes 
flask-shaped, and sometimes hollow spheres. The rodlets vary in length 
from 0 * 5-1 *5 p, in breadth from 0 • 2-0 * 6 p. The flask-shaped are 
2-3 • 5 p long and 1-2 p broad. The hollow spheres are from 1-2 * 5 p in 
diameter. The cocci are almost invariably mixed up with the flask- 
shaped forms in the superficial layers of the comedones. Their diameters 
are from 0*3-0 '5 p. 
The author believes that the bacilli are the cause of acne ; they were 
always present and always in the centre of the comedo, and absent in 
pseudo-acne. 
Anaerobiosis of Cholera Vibrios.* — By inoculating hens’ eggs with 
cholera, Herren Hueppe and Fajans have shown that there is a continuous 
decrease in the amount cf oxygen, ending in its total disappearance. 
From these experiments it was also deduced that microbes will live 
and retain their virulence longer in egg than in any other medium. 
And, notwithstanding that eventually complete anaerobiosis is attained, 
the cholera vibrios still grow. This gives a practical demonstration of 
the anaerobiosis of cholera bacteria, and supports Koch’s original 
contention that the cholera microbe is a potential anaerobe. 
Dissemination of Bacterium coli commune. | — Dr. T. Henke de- 
scribes how he found a bacillus having, on examination, all the characters 
of Bacterium coli commune. The organism was isolated from the dress- 
ings of an empyema, and when some of the discharge was injected into 
the peritoneal sac of a guinea-pig the animal died of suppurative inflam- 
mation. The original and the cultivated microbes exhibited the same 
morphological characters, and the latter organism was found to be 
mobile, was decolorized by Gram, was possessed of flagella, produced acid 
(Petruschky’s gelatin), coagulated milk quickly at body temperature, 
gave characteristic appearances on oblique agar and on potato, and also 
developed gas, especially on saccharated media. These and some other 
characteristics aie quoted to show that the organism was undoubtedly 
B. coli commune , and the occurrence is cited to show the universal dis- 
tribution of this pathogenic organism. A very similar case has been 
reported by Gaertner, who concluded that the animals had died owing 
to accidental perforation of the gut during inoculation. In Henke’s case 
this source can be excluded. 
Differentiation of Bacillus typhi abdominalis from Bacillus coli 
communis.j — Dr. A. P. Matthews points out that, of all the methods in 
use for diagnosing between B. coli communis and B. typhosus , that of 
Wurtz is by far the most useful. Wurtz’s medium consists of litmus- 
* Arch. f. Hygiene, xx. No. 4. See Centialbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., xvi. 
(1S94) pp. 216-7. f Centralbl. f. Bakttriol. u. Parasitenk., xvi. (1894) pp. 481-4. 
+ Technol. Quarterly, vi. 1893, No. 3. See Centraibl. f. Bakteriol. u. Paiasitenk., 
xiv. (1894) pp. 214-5. 
