ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
675 
plague injected subcutaneously, and the same quantity injected twelve 
hours after inoculation cured the animal. The authors then proceeded 
to immunise a horse, using for the purpose cultures of the plague which 
killed mice in two days. The result of the first injection (intravenous) 
was a prolonged and severe reaction. The reactions of subsequent in- 
jections became less and less severe. After six weeks, serum was 
obtained, which showed that it was able to protect guinea-pigs and 
mice. 
Antistreptococcus Serum. — Dr. A. Marmorek,* after discussing the 
various appearances presented by streptococci, the differences in their 
virulence, and the pathological phenomena caused by them, narrates 
his attempts to obtain a preventive and curative serum from vaccinated 
animals. After failing to obtain a successful serum from rabbits, sheep, 
asses and horses were tried. From these last a serum giving very 
satisfactory results was obtained, though its power was not so great as 
was desired. The serum was not only preventive and therapeutic, but 
also to some degree antitoxic. 411 cases of streptococcous disease 
were treated with the serum, the deaths numbering 14 — a mortality of 
3 * 4 per cent. 
Dr. D. Gromakowsky f obtained an immunising serum from rabbits 
which had received intraperitoneal injections of a virus attenuated by 
heat. The streptococcus used was derived from a case of erysipelas, and 
cultivated in bouillon. The serum was mixed with an equal volume of 
2 per cent, boracic acid, and, when injected into persons (2) suffering 
from erysipelas, seemed to exert a very favourable action. 
Micro-organisms of Scarlet Fever Blood. :f — Dr. J. Crajkowski has 
found a diplococcus in the blood of scarlet fever patients. It was 
always in the plasma, and never in the corpuscles ; sometimes short 
chains consisting of oval cocci were observed. The organism did not 
possess a strong affinity for stains, and was easily decolorised. No 
capsule was observed. Blood was taken with the usual precautions 
from the ear, and cultivations made on glycerin-agar, agar with haemo- 
globin, blood-serum and gelatin, pepton-bouillon, dropsical serum, and 
hydrocele fluid. On the solid media, except gelatin, colonies 1/3— 1/2 mm. 
in diameter, resembling dewdrops, developed, but the liquid media were 
more favourable to the growth. Mice reacted energetically to injections 
of pure cultures, death ensuing in 3—4 days. The same diplococcus 
was found in the blood of the mice after death. 
iEtiology of Acute Articular Rheumatism. — Dr. Singer § has 
examined the urine in seventeen cases of acute articular rheumatism. 
Each case was repeatedly tested. In ten cases Staphylococcus pyogenes 
albus (and in two of them in the blood) was found. Once Staphylo- 
coccus pyogenes aureus , thrice Streptococcus pyogenes , and twice Staphylo- 
coccus albus and Streptococcus were found together. In one case, com- 
plicated by cystitis, numerous colonies of Bacillus coli commune deve- 
loped. Owing to the quantity and the constancy of the excretion of these 
* Ann. Inst. Pasteur, ix. (1895) pp. 593-620. f Tom. cit., pp. 621-4. 
X Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., l te Abt., xviii. (1895) pp. 116-9 (3 figs.). 
§ Wiener Klin. Wochenschr., 1895, p. 449. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Para- 
sitenk., l te Abt., xviii. (1895) p. 130. 
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