200 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
&c. ; in the second, or Monocystideae, the spores have the poles unequal, 
and here we have the Gonosporidae and the U rosporidae. 
Mingazzini has described a number of forms, but the reporter seems 
to be of opinion that he has instituted too large a number of new genera. 
Various notes, some of which have already been noticed Jin this 
Journal, have recently been published on Coccidia; Schneider* has 
given the provisional name of Nematopsis to a Coccidium known only in 
an encapsuled condition in the connective-tissue-cells of Solen vagina ; 
P. Willach f comes to the conclusion, for somewhat remarkable reasons, 
that Coccidia are not Protozoa. 
A. Korotneff J has shown that Myxosporidia are to be found in 
Bryozoa ( Alcyonella fungosa), where they lead to atrophy of the polypide ; 
as a rule, the infection spreads, and leads to an early death of the whole 
colony. 
It is possible that the Cercomonas intestinalis, said by E. Muller § to 
be present in a man without causing any dangerous symptoms, was not 
correctly identified. A true Polimitus has been found by A. Labbe || in 
the blood of the Frog. Little has recently been published on the ciliated 
Infusoria found in Man. 
Parasitic Protozoa found in Cancerous Tumours.^ — Dr.M. Armand 
Puffer and Mr. J. H. Walker find that with increasing practice they are 
able to demonstrate parasites in almost every cancer examined ; at the 
same time it is to be noted that section after section may be examined 
in vain, till “ suddenly the observer’s patience is rewarded by finding a 
nest ” of them. In fact, the life of the parasites in a cancerous tumour 
is precarious, and the cell often survives its parasite. In a large majority 
of cases the parasites of cancer are perfectly spherical ; a small nucleus 
is surrounded by a comparatively large amount of protoplasm ; there is 
a distinct capsule, which is not well marked in tissues hardened with 
alcohol, but is always plainly visible in carcinomata fixed in Flemming’s 
solution. The nucleus may lie perfectly isolated, but, more frequently, 
fine delicate rays extend from it to the periphery ; the protoplasm may 
be perfectly homogeneous, or may have a slightly mottled appearance. 
The capsule appears to be secreted by the invaded cell, and not by the 
enclosed parasite, from which it is often quite distinct. In most cases 
an infected cell contains only one parasite, but as many as fifteen have 
been seen. 
The parasites evidently do not always thrive in the cell, and in no 
case could the authors demonstrate a reproductive process ; it appears 
very probable that the cells secrete a substance which destroys the 
parasite or, at least, inhibits its growth. As the whole history of the 
parasites is not yet known, it appears to be useless to attempt at present 
to classify them. 
In a later note ** Dr. Buffer states that he has seen every stage in the 
* Tabl. Zool., ii. (1892) pp. 209-10 (1 pi.). 
t Arch. f. Wiss. u. Prakt. Thierheilk., xviii. (1892) pp. 242-62. 
J “ Myxosporidium bryozoides,” Zeitschr. f. Wiss. ZooL, liii. (1892) pp. 591-6 
(1 pi.). § Yerh. Biolog. Yer. Stockholm, ii. (1891) pp. 42-54 (1 pi.). 
|| Comptes Rendus, cxiii. pp. 479-81. 
^ Joum. of Pathol, and Bacteriol., Oct. 1892, 19 pp. (3 pis.). 
** Brit. Med. Journal, Nov. 5th, 1892. 
