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SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Association of the Pneumococcus with Staphylococcus pyogenes 
aureus.* — M. Mosny finds that the coalition of Staphylococcus pyogenes 
aureus with Bac. pneumonise serves to render the action of the latter 
much more virulent. When 0 # 5 ccm. of a culture of Bac. pneumonise was 
intravenously injected into a rabbit the animals died in 5 days, while 
they survived after subcutaneous injection. When the two organisms co- 
operated the virulence of Pneumococcus was much increased, the animals 
dying in from onejto^three days. Bac. pneumonise was always found in the 
heart’s blood, but St. py. aureus never. The latter was, however, found in 
miliary abscesses of the kidney, which were constantly present, and at 
the inoculation site. It seems probable that the increased virulence is 
due rather to the poison than to the organism itself. When Pneumococcus 
was cultivated on sterilized Staphylococcus cultures its virulence was 
also increased. 
Bacteriological Examination of Edinger’s Rhodanates.-f — Dr. A. 
Muller has submitted some of the rhodanates to a bacteriological 
examination in order to test if they were possessed of any disinfecting 
power. This power suggested itself on account of the suspected affinity 
of these bodies with those substances produced by the human body 
which protect against or prevent disease. The three bodies tested were 
chiuolinbenzyl rhodanate, oxychinolinmethyl rhodanate, and cbinolin 
rhodanate, and the bacteria used were Staphylococcus aureus , Bacillus 
diphtherise, and Vibrio cholerse asiaticse. The experiments showed that 
these bodies are possessed of a certain amount of bactericidal influence 
and disinfecting power, and this the author considers is some support 
to the theory of self-purification. 
Urethritis caused by Bacillus coli communis.J — Herren N. R. C. A. 
van der Pluym and C. H. ter Laag record a case in which a specific 
urethritis was caused by B. coli communis. Examination of the discharge 
failed to reveal any gonococci, but instead there were numerous bacilli 
with rounded ends, most of them being within the pus-cells. Culti- 
vations were made on gelatin and agar plates. The colonies which 
developed on the agar were both superficial and deep. In both cases the 
bacilli were alike, and consisted of longer and shorter rodlets. The 
organism was further cultivated on gelatin and agar (tubes), on potato, 
and in bouillon. In media containing grape or milk sugar there was 
copious disengagement of gas. The organism was pathogenic to mice, 
the spleen being much enlarged. Inoculated in the cornea it produced 
suppurative keratitis. The authors identify the organism with Bacillus 
coli communis. 
Bacillus typhosus in Urine of Enteric Fever Patients.§ — Prof. 
A. E. Wright and Dr. D. Semple find that the bacillus of typhoid fever 
is easily detected by bacteriological examination of the urine of enteric 
fever patients. In one case the Bacillus typhosus was also isolated from 
the blood obtained by puncturing the “ spots.” These facts go far to 
support the authors’ contention that typhoid fever is a septicaemia and 
* La Semaine Med., 1895, No. 1. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., 
l te Abt., xvii. (1895) p. 761. 
t Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., l te Abt., xvii. (1895) pp. 705-10. 
X Tom. cit., pp. 233-5 (1 pi.). § Lancet, 1895, ii. pp. 196-9. 
