472 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Pathology of Intestinal Anthrax.* * * § — Herr Krumbholz narrates a 
case of a person who died with symptoms suspicious of cholera, where 
the post-mortem examination was made half an hour after death. In the 
peritoneal sac was a large quantity of turbid yellow serous fluid. The 
intestinal mucosa showed several swellings of a dark red hue, due to 
oedema and engorgement ; the spleen and abdominal lymphatic glands 
were much enlarged. Microscopical examination of the ascitic fluid and 
blood revealed the presence of anthrax bacilli, and this was confirmed 
by cultivation. As the j)ost-mortem examination was made so soon after 
death, the case becomes important as proving that the infection took 
place through the lymphatic vessels and not through the blood circula- 
tion ; for the microscopical examination of the intestine showed that 
while the lymph-capillaries were crowded with bacilli, the blood-capil- 
laries were free. 
Distinction between the Typhoid Bacillus and Bacterium coli 
commune. f — The chief results of the observations of Herr L. Muller are 
that Bacterium coli commune grows more luxuriantly than the typhoid 
bacillus in almost al 1 media. In a puncture cultivation of grape-sugar- 
gelatin, gas-bubbles are developed ; this never occurs with the typhoid 
bacillus. Sterilised milk is coagulated in 24 hours at 37° by B. coli 
commune ; by the typhoid bacillus with difficulty in weeks. Grown on 
faintly acid potato, the polar granules (contraction of the plasma at the 
poles of cells) are very characteristic of the bacillus of typhoid, while B. 
coli commune at most shows a few gaps in the plasma. 
Pyogenic Action of Micrococcus tetragenus.i — Herr Vignerat 
mentions the case of an Italian who wore round his neck a scarf infected 
with nasal secretion. This man had an abscess on the neck, from the 
pus of which was obtained a pure cultivation of Micrococcus tetragenus. 
The pyogenic properties of tetragenus were demonstrated by injecting 
blisters with pure cultivation (blisters raised on eight persons suffering 
from phthisis). A painless suppuration followed, and then subsided in 
14 days. From the pus of the blister M. tetragenus in pure cultivation 
was obtained. These observations confirmed the suspicion that M. 
tetragenus is pyogenic to man. 
Bacteriology of Influenza.§ — The organism which Dr. S. Jarron 
regards as the specific cause of influenza was almost constantly found in 
the sputum (51 out of 62 cases) ; in the urine drawn off with a steri- 
lised catheter (17 out of 24) ; in the blood (12 times at the time of high- 
est temperature) ; and in pleural effusions. It is a polymorphic diplo- 
bacillus, about 3 p. long ; it is invested with a capsule, a characteristic 
which distinguishes it from other micro-organisms. Under certain cir- 
cumstances it may assume the streptococcus form. ' It is best cultivated 
in bouillon at 25°, and its development ceases at 42°. On potato it 
* Ziegler’s Beitr. zur Pathol. Anat., xvi. pt. 2. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. 
Parasitenk., l te Abt., xvii. (1895) p. 666. 
t Arb. a. d. Bact. Inst. d. Techn. Hochsch. zu Karlsruhe, 1. (1894) p. 113. See 
Hedwigia, xxxiv. (1895), Rep., pp. 5-6. 
I Zeitschr. f. Hygiene, xviii. (1894) p. 411. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Para- 
sitenk., l te Abt., xvii. (1895) pp. 470-1. 
§ These de Bordeaux, 1894. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., l te Abt. 
xvii. (1895) pp. 469-70. 
