108 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Anthrax in a Fox.* * * § — Prof. O. Bujwid gives a short account of 
anthrax in a fox. The animal, which had been kept in a cage for some 
months, was fed on a rabbit dead of anthrax. The next day the animal 
seemed out of sorts and refused its food ; on the third day it died. In 
the subcutaneous cellular tissue and in the muscles numerous capillary 
haemorrhages were observed. The spleen was much enlarged. The 
blood in the heart was clotted. From the blood and various organs cul- 
tivations were made on oblique meat-pepton-agar. After incubation 
Tor 24 hours at 37° numerous colonies grew up. The case is recorded 
on account of the rarity of anthrax among wild animals. 
Bacillus pyocyaneus and its Functions.! — Dr. Schurmayer describes 
a case of Bursitis prepatellaris from which Bacillus pyocyaneus w'as ob- 
tained in pure cultivation. Notwithstanding frequent aspiration and 
compression, there was constant occurrence until oxygen, produced by 
electrolysis, effected a cure. Observations on the particular specimen 
show that B pyocyaneus exhibits considerable variation of form and 
function, of which pigment-production is the most sensitive. The author 
does not regard this microbe as an invasive pathogenic micro-organism, 
and points out that this case shows that it may excite a local hypersecre- 
tion without suppuration. 
Bacterial Flora of the Intestinal Tract-! — M. J* Dallemagne de- 
scribes the bacteria of the healthy intestinal tract and those found in 
the intestine post mortem. Special attention is paid to the part played 
by B. coli com. in the alimentary canal. The author’s investigations 
lead him to the following conclusions. Each of the larger divisions of 
the healthy human intestinal tract has a specific bacterial flora, of which 
some are permanent inhabitants, while others are migratory. The 
development of the former exerts no harmful influence on the normal 
functions of the body, while the latter damage the organism if their stay 
be too prolonged. The quantity of the bacteria depends on the digestive 
secretions, so that under certain circumstances the stools contain few 
bacteria. As a rule the intestinal canal of the dead body contains 
definite species, often dependent on the cause of death. In general they 
correspond to the bacteria found during life. Chronic non-f'ebrile dis- 
eases have little effect on the intestinal flora ; while in certain acute 
diseases the intestinal bacteria hold a prominent position ; whenever any 
disturbance occurs in the intestinal flora, Buc. coli com. and pyogenic 
bacteria gradually become predominant. If the former organism stay 
long in the intestinal canal of the corpse, it often becomes so altered 
that it resembles so extraordinarily the bacillus of typhoid fever that a 
differential diagnosis must be extremely difficult. 
Influence of Alkali on Microbic Metabolism.§— Herr F. Blumenthal 
lias made some observations relative to the influence of alkali on the 
vital activity of microbes, with especial reference to the chemically 
demonstrable metabolic products. For this purpose pure cultivations 
* Central!)], f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., l te Abt., xviii. (1895) pp. 435-6. 
f Zeifschr. f. Hygiene, xx. pp. 281-94. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasi- 
tenk., l te Abt , xviii. (1895) p. 450. 
X Arch. Med. Exp. et d’Anat. Pathol., 1895, p. 274. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. 
u. Parasitenk., l te Abt., xviii. (1895) pp. 503-4. 
§ Zeitsclir. f. Klin. Medizin, xxviii. Nos. 3 and 4. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. 
Parasitenk., l te Abt, xviii. (1895) p. 393. 
