220 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
lactose-gelatin or litmus-lactose -agar, and the fermentation of the lactose 
is indicated by a red staining of the medium. Now, according to the 
author, the typhoid bacillus, so far from even diminishing the alkalinity, 
actually increases it, so that the colonies stand out on a still deeper blue, 
while those of B. coli turn it red. In investigating any suspected water 
the author adds 1 ccm. of the water to the litmus-lactose-agar, and then 
makes plates in the usual way. After incubation for 14 hours at 37 * 5°, 
all the blue colonies which have any resemblance to typhoid are trans- 
ferred for further examination to milk, gelatin, bouillon, nitrate, and 
saccharine solutions. As many saprophytic water bacteria do not grow 
at 37*5°, agar plates are recommended, although the appearance of 
typhoid colonies is less characteristic than those on gelatin plates. 
Bacillus bovis morbificans.* — Bacillus bovis morbificans was iso- 
lated by Herr F. Basenau from the muscle of a cow which had died of 
blood-poisoning after calving. The organism is a short rodlet of about 
the same size as the typhoid bacillus, and is endowed with considerable 
mobility and power of growth. It is a facultative anaerobe. It does 
not form spores, and is killed in one minute at a temperature of 70°. It 
does not peptonize gelatin or invert cane sugar. In Loeffler’s bouillon 
to which 1 per cent, of grape sugar has been added, there is a slight 
development of gas at 39°. It does not form acid in any demonstrable 
quantity in bouillon, nor does it coagulate milk. No toxines could be 
demonstrated on the cultures, though it is fatal to animals. From the 
sum of its characters the author concludes that it is an organism hitherto 
undescribed, some of its special peculiarities being that it grows not only 
on the surface of meat, but also within the flesh, and mere contact is suf- 
ficient to infect. 
Occurrence of Bacillus diphtherise outside the Body.j — Drs. J. H. 
Wright and H. C. Emerson record some experiments undertaken to 
ascertain if the diphtheria bacillus could be detected in the dust on 
the floors of the diphtheria wards in Boston City Hospital, and also on 
the dresses and the hair of the nurses. Out of four cultures from 
sweepings, broom, &c., one was successful (the broom). Out of four 
cultures from the dust scraped from the nurses’ shoes, three were positive. 
One successful result was obtained out of four cultures from the nurses’ 
hair. Other cultures from the nurses’ clothes and finger-nails, from the 
patient’s clothes and bedclothes, and from the air of the ward, were 
negative. The authors infer from their success that the Klebs-Loeffler 
bacillus must have been present in pretty large numbers, though their 
inoculation experiments showed that the virulence of the organisms was 
low. 
The meat blood serum and bouillon mixture was set with dry heat, 
and thrice steam-sterilized at 100° C. If colonies developed and a 
microscopical examination demonstrated the presence of the Klebs- 
Loeffler bacillus, pure cultivations were made, and guinea-pigs inocu- 
lated therewith. For inoculating, cultures in 1 per cent, sugar- bouillon 
were used. 
* Arch. f. Hygiene, xx. No. 3. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., xvi. 
(1894) pp. 521-2. 
f Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., xvi. (1894) pp. 412-4. 
