NOTES AND MEMORANDA. 
87 
be pliospbate of potash, and that the magnesian sulphate might be 
omitted without hindering the bacterium development. The following 
carbon compounds were tried in lieu of acetate of ammonia in the 
nutritive fluid. One per cent, of carbonate of ammonia gave no 
development ; 1 per cent, of urea and the same of ethyl-urea no 
development ; 1 per cent, formiate of ammonia, no bacteria, but some 
mycelium ; 1 per cent, formiate of potash and the same of ammonia, 
bacteria development ; 1 per cent, oxalate of ammonia, no develop- 
ment ; 1 per cent, neutral acetate of ammonia, development ; 1 per 
cent, of the acid acetate, no development; 1 per cent, acetamid, 
development ; the same with 1 per cent, of glycocoll ; no development 
with 1 per cent, of sulphate of anilin. The authors were led to the 
conclusion that only those carbon compounds served as food for 
bacteria which contained “ carbon atoms not united with two of their 
afflnities to oxygen.” * 
Bacteria as Parasites in Splenic Disease. — M. H. Toussaint has 
communicated fresh remarks on this subject to the French Academy, 
his object being to show that those who have attributed the disease to 
a virus, and not to the bacteria, are in error. Referring to a previous 
paper, he states that a rabbit dying after inoculation with blood 
containing the bacteria dies in consequence of the obliteration of the 
capillaries of essential organs, such as lungs and brain. Most of the 
flexuous capillaries of the economy are tilled with bacteria at the 
moment of death. This etfect is most readily observed in the choroid 
and retina of albino rabbits. He claims to have demonstrated that 
when fresh bacteria blood is received in tubes and preserved from 
contact with air and from putrefaction, it loses its contagious pro- 
perties in six or eight days, or sooner if kept at a temperature of 38° 
to 40° C. A virus does not behave in this way. Such a method would- 
be adopted to preserve it. Filtration of bacteria blood, fresh and 
defibrinized, through a filter composed of eight sheets of paper sufiices 
to deprive it of its contagious elements. This filter allows the granu- 
lations, and even some white corpuscles to pass, but it retains all the 
bacteria. Such a filtration allows a considerable quantity of virus 
elements to pass, but completely deprives bacteria blood of its con- 
tagious properties. The time elapsing between bacterium inoculation 
and the death of an animal may be regulated by the quantity injected 
and the pretended incubation period suppressed. In one rabbit IJ 
cubic centimetres of the affected blood were injected, containing some 
1500 millions of bacteria; in another 75 millions; and in a third 
1500, the blood being diluted with water. The first died in seven 
hours, the second in twelve or thirteen, and the third in thirty-six 
hours. He describes many other experiments, all confirming the belief 
that the death is produced by the multiplication of the organisms and 
their obstructing the capillaries. I 
* “Dcr Naturforsclier,” March 9, 1878, copied from ‘ Maandblad vor Natuur- 
wetenshappen,’ G Jr^., No. 1. 
t ‘ Comptes Rendus,’ March 18, 1878. 
