ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
667 
bacterium wliich has become swollen from imbibition and degeneration. 
Two illustrations of preparations of blood infected with Pneumococcus 
are shown. In the first preparation of blood taken from the heart 
immediately after death, the cocci are seen without capsules. The 
second preparation is from the same blood, but had been preserved 
for ten days in sealed glass tubes. In this the cocci are seen to be 
surrounded with a broad characteristic capsule, and their central darkly 
stained portion to be distinctly diminished in size. 
Sporogenous Pseudo-diphtheria Bacillus.* — Dr. A. de Simoni de- 
scribes a spore-forming pseudo-diphtheria bacillus obtained from nasal 
discharge. It is cultivable on all the ordinary media. It is rather 
smaller than the true diphtheria bacillus, but presents similar shape, 
appearances, and the characteristic granules. It is easily stained, and 
best with methyl-violet. On agar the growth is indistinguishable from 
the Klebs-Loeffler. On gelatin it does not grow at all at 20°-22°. In 
milk and on potato it produces spores when kept in the thermostat at 
30°-34° for 48 to 60 hours. The bacilli stand 80 degrees of moist heat, 
and 85 degrees of dry heat for 10 minutes. Solutions of sublimate 
(0* 02-0*1 per cent.) are very effective, the spores being killed in a 
few minutes. 
Micro-organisms of Bigg’s Disease.^ — Mr. D. AVhittles briefly 
notices, without description, the invariable presence of a micro-organism 
in the case of progressive infective ulceration of the peridontium, or true 
Bigg’s disease. He believes it to be “ of the anaerobic variety.” 
* Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., l te Abt., xxiv. (1898) pp. 294-7 (1 pi.). 
t Anat. Anzeig., xv. (1898) pp. 108-10. 
