676 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
germs, as shown by the plate cultivations, the notion occurred to the 
author that there might be an aetiological connection between them and 
the disease ; and this view became all the more plausible, as with defer- 
vescence and convalescence the number of colonies first diminished, and 
then disappeared. There is no indication of whether the urine was 
passed or drawn off. 
Dr. F. Chvostek * * * § made repeated examinations of the urine of twelve 
cases of articular rheumatism. In nine cases the results were quite 
negative ; while from the uriue of three, micro-organisms were isolated. 
One of these was Diplococcus urese, one was Staphylococcus albus , and the • 
third was a large coccus, probably from the urethra. In these examinations 
the urine was withdrawn by means of a sterilised catheter. 
The author has also examined the contents of joints of numerous 
cases of acute and chronic articular rheumatism, and the effusions into 
joints arising in the course of acute infectious diseases, but the results 
were invariably negative. It is however stated that positive results 
have been obtained in some cases of blood-poisoning and gonorrhoea. 
Present Position of the Cholera Question. f — Sig. G. Galeotti has 
collected together the results of 109 monographs of cholera literature, 
which deal with the present position of the question of immunity from, 
and the bacterio-therapeutics of Asiatic cholera. For those acquainted 
with the subject the compendium contains nothing actually new, and for 
those who are unacquainted therewith, it is too little critical to serve as 
a useful guide. 
Illuminating Cholera Cultures.J— Of the three illuminating colonies 
which were used by Herr F. Weleminsky, two were from true cases of 
Asiatic cholera, one of them being fatal. The phosphorescence was 
first exhibited after passage through pigeon’s blood. The third case 
came from the Hamburg epidemic of 1893, and had phosphoresced from 
the start. Light only appeared where there was access of air. But if 
reducing bodies (e. g. grape-sugar) were present in the medium, no 
light ever appeared, nor did it in an atmosphere of hydrogen, but it 
returned with the access of oxygen. The absorption of oxygen seems to 
be favoured by the lively movements of the vibrios, and the movements 
in their turn to be favoured by the presence of oxygen. According to 
the author, illumination or non-illumination is not to be considered as 
an actual and specific distinction ; illumination is to be regarded as the 
expression of the function of absorbing and incorporating the oxygen of 
the air carried to a very high degree. 
Dissemination of Anthrax by Coleoptera.§ — M. F. Heim received 
from Luxembourg some insects found on dried sheepskins. An exami- 
nation was desired, as some of the workmen had been attacked by 
* Tom. cit., No. 26. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., l te Abt., xviii. 
(1895) pp. 231-2. 
f Centralbl. f. Allgem. Path. u. Pathol. Anat., vi. (1895) pp. 472-503. See . 
Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., l te Abt., xviii. (1895) p. 220. 
+ Prager Med. Wochenschr., 1895, No. 25. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Para- 
eiteuk., l te Abt., xviii. (1895) p. 285. 
§ Compt. Rend. Soc. Biol., 1894, No. 3. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Para- 
sitenk., l le Abt., xviii. (1895) p. 179. 
