578 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
By treating tubercle bacilli from which the wax had been removed 
with caustic soda (0*02 per cent.), under a pressure of 180, a substance 
was extracted which was strongly poisonous to guinea-pigs, producing 
death from marasmus. 
Agglutinative Power of Tuberculous Serum produced by Che- 
mical Substances.* — M. S. Arloing states that he has produced the 
phenomenon of agglutination in goats’ serum by means of eucalyptol, 
guaiacol, creosote, and corrosive sublimate. The animals received in- 
jections of these substances for periods varying from one to two years. 
The creosote, guaiacol, and eucalyptol were suspended in olive oil. 
Microbes of Turned Wine.t — MM. F. Bordas, Joulin, and de 
Backowski now give an account of the bacillus associated with B. rosens 
vini previously described by them. The bacillus was isolated from the 
sediment on a pepton-mineral medium, and afterwards on gelatinous 
media; the gelatin was not liquefied. Under the Microscope the 
bacillus is seen as filaments of variable length, being 8 to 12 fx long 
and about 0*8 fx broad. It does not stain by Gram’s method ; it slowly 
transforms nitrates into nitrites ; coagulates milk after eight days ; does 
not form spores, nor produce indol. It withstands desiccation for 
6 months ; is killed in a minute at 65°. When cultivated in wine, the 
fluid becomes cloudy, loses colour, and at the end of about 20 days 
causes a sensible diminution in the tartar and glucose, and a slight 
increase of acidity. 
The differences between this bacillus and B. roseus vini cultivated 
under identical conditions are interesting. The former produces no 
scum, developes in media containing more than 3 grm. of tartar per 
litre, acts feebly on glucose and glycerin, produces succinic acid with 
the former, and does not form dioxyaceton with the latter. On the 
other hand, B. roseus vini always develops on the surface ; is not cultiv- 
able in media containing that proportion of tartar ; acts energetically 
on glucose and glycerin, forming lactic acid in the first case, and dioxy- 
aceton in the second. 
Agglutination of the Tubercle Bacillus. f — M. S. Arloing finds that 
Koch’s bacillus may be agglutinated by the action of certain serums. 
Thus the serum of goats which have been injected with tuberculin or 
with tubercle bacilli produces the phenomenon in a complete and satis- 
factory manner. This serum also agglutinates avian tubercle bacilli 
very well. 
The agglutinating power of normal blood is inversely to the power 
of the species for contracting or resisting tuberculosis. Thus it is nil 
for the guinea-pig and rabbit, slight for the goat, more marked in the 
ox and ass, well marked in the horse. The agglutinative power was 
found to develop in a comparatively short time, less than a fortnight. 
This agglutinative power was applied to the diagnosis and pro- 
gnosis in cases of human tuberculosis, and positive results were ob- 
tained in over 90 per cent, of the cases. 
Mobile Variety of the Tubercle Bacillus.! — M. S. Arloing has 
obtained cultures of the tubercle bacillus which are easily emulsioned 
* Comptes Rendus, exxvi. (189S) pp. 1550-2. 
t Tom. cit., pp. 1443-6. Cf. this Journal, ante, p. 464. 
X Tom. cit., pp. 1398-1400. § Tom. cit., pp. 1319-21. 
