ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
677 
malignant pustule. The skins were covered with a powdery mass 
which was recognised as excrement, and the insects were found to be 
Attagenus pellio , Anthrenus museorum , and a species of Ptinus. All these 
insects, together with their larvae, were rubbed up with sterilised water, 
and guinea-pigs subcutaneously injected with the fluid. In 48—53 
hours the animals were sick with anthrax. From the investigation it 
was determined that anthrax spores could pass through the alimentary 
canal of insects without losing their virulence. The disease therefore 
could be spread by insects ; for the dry powdery excrement is disseminated 
by the wind, and the anthrax spores thus scattered about. Moreover 
there is some probability that the spores may develope into bacilli 
within the digestive tract of the insects. 
Effect of Electrolysis on Diphtheria Cultures.* — Herr Kruger finds 
that by passing an electric current through a bouillon culture of virulent 
diphtheria, the bacilli are killed and their toxins neutralised, while 
an immunising substance remains. The fluid is colourless, quite clear, 
and faintly alkaline. It contains only slight traces of albumen, and is 
easily evaporated in a vacuum to 1/5 of its volume. 
Cultivating Streptococci on Acid Media.f — Dr. R. Turro has shown 
that streptococci are cultivable on nutrient media with an acid reaction, 
the acidity being either imparted by the addition of some acid, such as 
tartaric, or even hydrochloric, or the result of the previous cultivation 
of another micro-organism such as cholera or anthrax. One advantage 
of the acid reaction would appear to be that streptococci in almost pure 
cultivation can be isolated in 24 hours from a crowd of organisms which 
may be present in the material examined. Another advantage is that 
the vitality and virulence of the cultivations are maintained for a longer 
period than when the reaction is neutral or alkaline. The virulence is, 
however, not increased. Just as on alkaline or neutral media, the 
vitality of streptococci is diminished or extinguished by cultivating at 
high temperatures. The initial vitality of streptococci is very variable ; 
thus in nine cases out of fifteen of streptococci isolated from tuberculous 
sputum, the vitality was lost in the first generation ; in supjmration of 
the urinary tract or vagina streptococci possess extraordinary vitality ; 
sometimes it takes 2 ccm. of culture to set up erysipelas, at others the 
merest scratch suffi ces. 
Etiology of Small-pox.J — Mr. J. Christian Bay states that he has 
discovered the microbe of small-pox. It belongs to Kern’s genus 
Dispora, and is called D. variolse. The bacillus has, to a great extent, the 
same appearance as those found by Plant and Zimmermann. In sheep- 
pox the bacilli measure 0 • 6 to 1 * 0 [x by 0 * 2 to 0 * 3 /*. There are two 
spores in each cell, one at each end. Mr. Bay thinks that the diagnostic 
value of his discovery is yet uncertain, but hopes to be able to report 
further progress when the work in hand has reached completion. 
Red Water Disease in Cattle.§ — Mr. C. J. Pound has made an 
official report on the red water disease which has occasioned so much 
* Deutscli. Med. Wochenschr., 1895, No. 21. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. 
Parasitenk., l te Abt„ xviii. (1895) pp. 151-2. 
f Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., l te Abt., xvii. (1895) pp. 865-74. 
X Amer. Natural., xxix. (1895) pp. 699-709 (1 pi.). 
§ * Bed Water Disease in Cattle,’ Brisbane, 1895, 8vo, 20 pp. 
