352 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
that this test does not afford a useful means of differentiating the 
“ typhoid ” organism from others closely resembling it. It allows the 
inference that organisms which are unaffected by formalin when added 
to the cultivation medium, such as Bad. coli com., are not “ typhoid ” 
bacilli. But the converse does not hold good, viz. that organisms 
which behave like the true Bacillus typhosus in formalin bouillon are 
really bacilli of enteric fever. 
Difficulty of Isolating Bacillus typhosus in the presence of Bac- 
terium coli commune.* — Dr. M. Nicolle adduces some facts in support 
of the view that it is impossible to isolate the bacillus of enteric fever 
when Bacterium coli commune is present. New methods, more delicate 
and sensitive than those now at our disposal, are requisite for this im- 
portant object. 
Capsule Bacillus of Suppurative Nephritis.f — Dr. A. Nicolaiex de- 
scribes a bacillus which was isolated from the kidneys of a person of 75, 
suffering from suppurative nephritis and cystitis. Mice inoculated 
directly from the kidney died in three or four days of a pysemia, there 
being abcesses in kidney, liver, and spleen. Cultivations from the mice 
were made in the ordinary media, and showed short, thick, motionless 
rods of variable length, with rounded ends. Many of these bacteria were 
possessed of a distinct capsule. They stained easily, but not with Gram. 
The bacillus is a potential anaerobe, and does not liquefy gelatin. On agar 
and gelatin it grows well, forming a greyish-white deposit. In saccharated 
media gas is formed (C0 2 and H). When cultivated on acid media it 
effects an alkaline secretion, as is shown by acidulating agar or gelatin 
with phosphate of potash and colouring it with litmus. If, however, the 
bacillus be cultivated in neutral litmus, bouillon, or in Petruschky’s 
litmus-milk, it forms acid at first, the medium eventually becoming 
blue again. Mice inoculated from pure cultivations died usually in 2-3 
days from a septicEemia, pathogenic changes being only observed in 
the kidneys, though the bacilli were demonstrable by the aid of 
Loeffier’s methylen-blue solution in all parts of the body. These 
animals also died when injected with the soluble toxic products of the 
bacteria. 
Dr. A. Kragius J criticises the description of the capsule bacillus 
of suppurative nephritis given by Nicolaiex, and seeks to identify it 
with Bacterium coli commune, a common cause of cystitis and nephritis. 
It is obvious that the two bacteria have many points of resemblance, 
and the author adds a new one, namely, that B. coli obtained from 
infected mice often shows a capsule, or the appearance assumed to 
indicate one. 
Dr. Nicolaiex replies § that the two bacilli differ considerably in two 
important particulars : — 1. The capsule bacillus is larger and thicker than 
B. coli , and the capsule, though not invariably present, is sufficiently 
constant to make it a diagnostic criterion. 2. The growth appearances 
on agar and gelatin are quite different. 3. The pathogenic behaviour 
of the two organisms towards mice is quite different. 
* Ann. Inst. Pasteur, viii. (1894) pp. 854-5. 
f Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., xvi. (1894) pp. 601-12 (l pi.). 
J Tom. cit., pp. 1006-9. § Tom. cit., pp. 1010-2. 
