ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
577 
there were long chain-like bacilli interspersed with shorter forms, as 
well as the diplococcus and diplobacillus forms. The organism is ex- 
tremely small, and very difficult to stain. The most successful stainings 
were obtained with phenol-fuchsin and decolorising in the sun. 
Astasia asterospora Meyer.* — Herr W. Migula has found, by using 
Loeffler’s mordant and van Ermengem’s method, that Astasia asterospora 
is covered all over with flagella. He is of opinion that the genus Astasia 
should be suppressed, and the organism described as Bacillus aster osporus. 
With regard to the granules which Meyer considers to be nuclei, 
the author is of opinion that neither in Astasia nor in any other of the 
species examined can they be held to be true nuclei. 
Bacillus tartaricus.f — MM. L. Grimbert and L. Ficquct describe a 
new bacillus which produces a ferment capable of splitting up tartrate. 
It is 1-2 /x long, is actively mobile, stains by Gram’s method, and is 
a facultative anaerobe. It quickly renders bouillon turbid, forming a 
scum thereon. On gelatin plates the colonies resemble those of the coli 
bacillus. The liquefaction of the gelatin is slow, and begins from the 
10th to the 15th day. It does not form indol in pepton solution ; milk is 
coagulated in about eight days ; starch is not dissolved ; nitrates are 
converted into nitrites. The bacillus attacks glucose, lactose, maltose, 
sucrose, dextrin, and mannite, and has no effect on dulcite and glycerin. 
On tartrate of lime both are aerobic ; and in anaerobic cultures the 
bacillus exerts a strongly disintegrating action. As nutrient medium, a 
saline solution containing two per thousand pepton and kept at 36° was 
used. The fermentation products were acetic acid, succinic acid, carbonic 
acid, hydrogen, and alcohol 
With tartrate of ammonia no gas development took place, nor was a 
trace of alcohol detected, but succinic and acetic acids were both recog- 
nised. The bacillus therefore decomposes tartrates with the production 
of succinic, acetic, and carbonic acids, and hydrogen. 
The Fatty Substance in the Tubercle Bacillus.f— Starting from 
the observation of Unna that the tubercle bacillus contained a fatty 
substance, Dr. Aronson made giant cultures in glycerin-bouillon, there- 
by obtaining 300 grm. of tubercle bacilli. The mass of bacilli was 
treated with alcohol and ether. In the culture there remained a thin 
brown substance which amounted to 20-25 per cent, of the whole bacil- 
lary mass. Chemical examination showed that this substance was com- 
posed of 17 per cent, free fatty acid, the rest being wax. From the 
latter, one of the higher alcohols was obtained. The wax was also 
obtained, though in less quantity, when tubercle bacilli were grown on 
mineral media. This wax stains deeply with carbol-fuchsin, and only 
gives up the colour with great difficulty when treated with hydrochloric 
acid alcohol. The wax lies partly between and partly in the tubercle 
bacilli. That inside the bacilli is only extracted with difficulty. A 
similar substance with similar staining reaction was obtained from 
diphtheria bacilli. 
* Flora, lxxxv. (1898) pp. 141-50 (3 figs.). Of. this Journal, ante , p. 120. 
f Journ. de Pliarm. et de Chim., July 6, 1897. See Zeitsckr. f. angew. Mikr., 
iv. (1898) pp. 79-80. 
t Munch. Med. Wochenschr., 1898, p. 642. See Zeitschr. f. angew. Mikr., iv. 
(1898) pp. 71-2. 
