ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
109 
(Bad. coli ), mixed cultivations, and even mixtures of putrefaction germs 
were employed. The investigations on putrefaction were confined to 
the following products : sulphuretted hydrogen, methyl-mercaptan, 
ammonia, indol, phenol, the volatile and non-volatile acids. At the 
same time the estimation of the undissolved proteids afforded a notion 
of the intensity of the decomposition under the influence of alkali. It 
was found that, both in mixed and pure cultures, the formation of 
metabolic products is really dependent on the amount of alkali in the 
decomposed material, while the intensity of the decomposition was little 
or not at all dependent on the alkali. Liquefaction of the gelatin was, 
however, found to be dependent on the amount of alkali. Under the 
influence of alkali more of those products were formed which are 
detrimental to the microbes themselves. The virulence of B. coli , 
tested on a series of animals, indicated that toxin formation was 
apparently influenced by alkali. To every 250 ccm. bouillon were 
added (1) 2 ccm. of 10 per cent. Na 2 C0 3 solution; (2) 8 ccm.; and 
(3) 12 ccm. ; and after sterilisation the mixture was inoculated with 
B. coli. Almost all the guinea-pigs inoculated with No. 2 culture 
exhibited more severe phenomena than those inoculated with 1 or 3. 
Fermentations excited by the Pnenmobacillus of Friedlaender.* 
— M. L. Grimbert has examined the fermentation properties of Pneumo- 
bacillus Friedlaender, going over the same ground that Frankland and 
others did in 1891, but arriving at quite different conclusions from the 
English observers. This microbe was found to ferment not only glucose, 
galactose, arabinose, mannite, saccharose, maltose, lactose, raffinose, 
dextrine and starch, but also glycerin and dulcite. The fermentation 
products varied with the sugar used, and were ethylic alcohol, acetic 
acid, laevolactic acid, and succinic acid. Sugars in C 12 gave a mixture 
of lactic and succinic acids ; while the hydrates of carbon of a high 
molecular weight (starch, dextrine, &c.) yielded merely succinic acid. 
Mannite gave laevolactic acid only, while its isomer dulcite produced 
succinic acid. 
From the pneumobacillus used by Frankland, that used by the 
author differs in attacking glycerin and dulcite, in the nature of the 
fermentation products, and in the energy of its action. Hence*, while 
these two forms are morphologically identical, they differ very consider- 
ably in their fermentative properties. 
Invasion of the Body by Intestinal Bacteria.f — MM. Ch. Achard 
and E. Phulpin have endeavoured to ascertain whether intestinal bacteria 
invade the body immediately before or after death. Out of 49 cases, 
in 14 bacteria were detected during life in the blood and in the liver; 
in 24 bacteria were found only after death; in 11 cases no intestinal 
bacteria were found up to 24 hours after death. The penetration of 
germs from the intestine into the body seemed to be directly dependent 
on the temperature of the air, though the nature of the disease had an 
unmistakable influence on the bacterial migrations. During life Strejpto- 
and Staphylococci were found, but no other putrefactive bacteria ; after 
death, in addition to the foregoing, the most frequent microbe was Bac. 
coli com. Of the various organs the liver was the first to show the 
* Comptes Rendus, exxi. (1895) pp. 698-700. 
t Arch. Med. Exp. et d’Anat. Pathol., 1895, p. 25. See Cenlralbl. f. BakterioL 
u. Parasitenk., l te Abb, xviii. (1895) p. 501. 
