342 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
from artificial cultures, produces, after subcutaneous or intraperitoneal 
injection, morbid appearances which differ from tboso produced by any 
other known septicaemic affection of this particular animal. As a rule 
tho animal dies in 48-72 hours ; there is then a tumour at the infection 
site, and the lymphatic glands and spleen are found to be notably 
enlarged. If death be delayed beyond 72 hours, then there is also focal 
'haemorrhagic pneumonitis with central areas of necrosis. The blood, 
lymph, and organs generally are found on examination to reek with 
bacilli. It was not found practicable to render the guinea-pig immune 
to plague infection, either by means of sublethal doses of plague blood, 
or by sterilised cultures of the plague bacillus ; hence the blood-serum 
of the animals treated by these methods failed to exhibit any definite 
curative or prophylactic property. 
Microbe of [Cattle Plague.* — MM. M. Nencki, N. Sieber, and 
W. Wyznikiewicz describe a microbe which they have found in the 
blood and tissues in cattle plague. It is 1-3 /x in size, and in shape 
usually round. It was cultivated on media composed of extract of 
salivary gland, in pepton-salt solution, and in agar mixed with inorganic 
salts. In examining the blood, it is necessary to break up the red cor- 
puscles by the addition of an equal bulk of water. Cultures from tho 
bile proved fatal to calves. 
Pseudo-Tetanus Bacillus.f — Prof. E. Tavel describes a bacillus, 
isolated from abscesses in connexion with the intestine, which has some 
resemblance to the tetanus bacillus. It is about 5-7 /x long and 0*5 /x 
thick. It forms a terminal oval spore, and possesses several (4-8) 
flagella. It is easily stained by basic anilin dyes, but only with diffi- 
culty by Gram’s method. It is an essential anaerobe ; it was cultivated 
in bouillon, agar, and in serum, but not in gelatin. The spores are 
killed if heated to 80°. It is not pathogenic to mice, rabbits, or guinea- 
pigs. 
JEtiology of Bysentery4 — Dr. S. Ciechanowski and Dr. J. Nowak 
made an investigation into twenty-one cases of dysentery for the purpose 
of ascertaining the aetiology of this disease. The intestinal contents 
and the mucosa of the colon were thoroughly overhauled. The most 
prominent and frequent bacteria present were B. coli commune, Strepto- 
coccus , and a vibrio, much like V. cholerse osiaticus , but staining well 
by Gram’s method. Amoebae were put out of court owing to their in- 
frequence. Experiments were made on cats with toxines of the bacteria 
alluded to, chiefly B. coli commune and its variety B. coli dysentericum, 
but no phenomena or symptoms similar to those of dysentery resulted. 
The conclusions arrived at are that, with regard to the dysentery of 
temperate latitudes, neither amoebae nor any one kind of bacterium 
stand directly to dysentery as cause to effect. Moreover, there is no 
proof that it is a mixed infection even ; and, in fine, our knowledge of 
the aetiology of this disease is nil. 
Bacillus capsulatus chinensis sp. n.§ — Dr. Alice Hamilton describes 
a bacillus, remarkable for an extraordinarily thick capsule, which was 
* Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., l te Abt., xxiii. (1898) pp. 529-37 (3 pis.). 
t Torn, cit., pp. 538-41 (1 pi.). 
J Tom. cit., pp. 445-52, 493-500 (2 pis.). 
§ Op. oit., 2 te Abt., iv. (1898) pp. 230-5 (1 fig.). 
