6(36 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
the development of the bacteria ; this inhibition being no doubt due to 
the presence of salicylic acid set free during the fermentation process. 
Dysentery and Abscess of the Liver.* * * § — Dr. A. P. Petridis, who 
has made bacteriological and inoculation experiments for the purpose 
of ascertaining the relation between dysentery and abscess of the iiver, 
finds that the endemic dysentery of Egypt is of microbic origin. The 
microbe having the greatest share in the production of the disease is a 
Streptococcus ; amoebae do not seem to possess any pathogenic action. 
The cat, which suffers from spontaneous dysentery, was found to be a 
suitable animal for experimental purposes. When inoculated with 
dysenteric material, or with pure cultures of Streptococcus , the disease 
was easily produced, and in four cases out of sixty there was abscess of 
the liver. In these abscesses and in others of spontaneous origin, Strep- 
tococcus is the organism usually found, but sometimes Staphylococcus 
may be present. Amoebae do not appear to have any connection with 
the production of liver abscesses. 
Action of the Sorbose Bacterium on Wood-sugar. f — M. G. Ber- 
trand has found that when the sorbose bacterium is cultivated in yeast 
decoction containing xylose or wood-sugar, it exhibits its oxidising action 
by transforming the sugar, with the exception of a few hundredths, into a 
corresponding monobasic acid, xylonic acid. What action this microbe 
has on other glucoses is reserved for a future communication. 
Flagella of Termobacterium aceti.J — Herr A. Zeidler, who had pre- 
viously described § an acetic acid bacterium endowed with movement, 
now gives an excellent photogram of this organism, which shows ex- 
tremely well the flagella as stained by Bunge’s method. 
Bacteriology of Verruca.|| — M. C. Nicolle communicates the results 
of an examination made on a case of Peruvian wart, a disease charac- 
terised by the outbreak of tumours on the skin and mucosas, and also by 
internal deposits. 
Sections of the lungs showed nodules composed of epithelioid cells 
surrounded by a zone of small round cells ; but no giant cells or caseation 
were observed. In the liver were similar aggregates, but these con- 
tained giant cells. In the spleen and lymphatic glands were more or 
less extensive areas of caseation. 
In the affected parts were found bacilli morphologically resembliug 
those of tuberculosis. They were isolated and frequent, and stained 
well by the Ehrlich method. If anything they were somewhat stouter 
than the bacillus of tubercle. 
Dr. Letulle, who has examined specimens of the cutaneous lesions of 
Verruca peruviana, has also found a microbe identical with the tubercle 
bacillus as to shape and colour reaction. 
Capsule of Pneumococcus.il — Dr. N.- Pane gives reasons for suppos- 
ing that the capsule of Pneumococcus is merely the outer part of the 
* Arm. de Mierographie, x. (1898) pp. 192-213. 
f Comptes Rendus, cxxvii. (1898) pp. 124-7. 
X Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., 2 te Abt., iv. (1898) p. 669 (1 pi.). 
§ See this Journal, 1897, p. 161. 
|| Ann. Inst. Pasteur, xii. (1898) pp. 591-5. 
•f Centralbl, Bakt. u, Par., l t0 Abt., xxiv. (1898) pp. 289-94 (2 figs.). 
