ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
339 
important part in inflammatory processes affecting mucous membranes. 
Besides B. pyocyaneus, staphylococcus, colon bacillus, aud tlie cholera 
vibrio produce the mucinoid substance. 
Production of Mucin by a Pathogenic Fluorescing Bacillus.* — 
M. Ch. Lepierre states that quantities of mucin are produced in meat- 
pepton cultures, and this even independently of fluorescence. In the 
latter case the media also contained lactate, malmate, malate, tartronate, 
isosuccinate, pyrotartrate, ethylmalmate, glycerate, or glycolate. 
Fluorescence and mucin were simultaneously produced when citrate, 
succinate, oxyglutartrate, oxypyrotartrate, or gluturate were present. 
L’quid media containing asparagin also gave mucin. As this mucin 
rarely contains any phosphorus, and is split up by acids with the forma- 
tion of a reducing sugar, it is real mucin, and not a nucleoalbumin. 
The author also notes that be has observed the formation of mucinoid 
substances in liquid cultures of a bacillus which he found to be the 
pathogenic agent in the production of “ sleepiness.” 
Destruction of Microbes in Hypervaccinated Animals. f — Dr. A. T, 
Salimbeni’s experiments on the destruction of microbes in the subcu- 
taneous tissue of hypervaccinated animals were made on horses treated 
with (1) diphtheria toxin, (2) living cholera vibrios, (3) living strepto- 
cocci. 
From a general point of view* no essential difference was found 
between tho cases of antitoxic and anti-infectious immunity, that is to 
say, the microbes were got rid of by phagocytosis. Still the experi- 
ments showed that phagocytic leucocytes do not all interpose to the 
same extent, or act in the same way upon the englobed microbes. As 
regards the bacteria in question, the polynuclear leucocytes are endowed 
with the most energetic bactericidal properties. In diphtheria the mono- 
nuclear leucocyte scarcely interferes at all. With the cholera vibrio the 
case is much the same. In the case of streptococci, mononuclear leuco- 
cytes at first arrive in large numbers, and englobe the majority of the 
microbes. They soon however perish, and the streptococci thus set at 
liberty are destroyed by the polynuclear phagocytes. 
Nature of the Agglutinated Substanee.t — M. C. Nicolle considers 
that the bodies of certain microbes, such as B. coli, B. typhosus , Vibrio 
Massoivah, and others, contain an agglutinated or agglutinable substance, 
to the existence of which the phenomenon of agglutination is due. The 
reaction is produced only by homologous serum, and the agglutinated 
substance is an integral part of the microbe. This substance is ex- 
tremely resistant to heat, cold, sunlight, high pressure, and drying, and 
the addition of antiseptics does not prevent the production of the pheno- 
menon. It is soluble in water, in acids and alkaline fluids, in ether, and in 
alcohol. The exact nature of the substance is unknown, and its chemical 
composition is doubtless very complex. The production of the substance 
is not related to the virulence or toxicity of the cultures used. It is 
distinguished from microbic toxins by its solubility in absolute alcohol ; 
hence the presence of the agglutinating power is not a sign of intoxi- 
cation. The characteristic of the substance is its property of agglome- 
* Comptes Rendus, exxvi. (189S) pp. 761-2. 
f Ann. Inst. Pasteur, xii. (1898) pp. 192-209. % Tom. cit., pp. 161-91. 
