462 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
does not, at present, therefore, furnish a means for specific differentiation, 
although it may be of use, the author thinks, for fixing genera. 
Contagiousif Diseases of Animals.* — The Board of Agriculture has 
published an account of its proceedings under the Contagious Diseases 
(Animals) Acts, &c. The Report of the Chief Veterinary Officer deals 
with, among others, swine fever, rabies, and glanders. The Report is 
one which should be studied by those who are interested in the relations 
of bacteriology to the diseases of our domestic animals. 
Microbe of Rinderpest.f — Dr. W. J. Simpson has made a preliminary 
communication to the Calcutta Microscopical Society on the microbe of 
rinderpest. He reports that this microbe is a Diplobacterium varying 
from 0*3 to 0*6 mm. in length, and about a third of this in breadth. 
The microbe is not unlike the bacilli found by Dr. Klein in ordinary 
calf vaccine. It is easily stained by the ordinary dyes. It grows with 
air and without air, but gradually becomes attenuated in virulence by 
repeated growth in air. It is a motile bacillus, is sporeless, and multiplies 
rapidly in cultures with the formation of air-bubbles. Dr. Simpson 
hopes to be able to prepare a vaccine for preservative purposes. 
Micro-Organisms and Digestion.^ — Dr. Nencki has come to the 
conclusion that micro-organisms possess the property of changing 
the insoluble forms of carbohydrates and albumen into a soluble form, 
but it does not appear that micro-organisms are necessary for the normal 
piocess of digestion. As a matter of fact, the acid of the stomach 
destroys the majority of them. Only a small number escape this fate 
and get into the intestinal tract. New-born guinea-pigs were put into 
a closed bell, and kept on a sterilised milk diet, the respiratory air 
being also sterilised ; microscopical investigation of the intestinal tract 
failed to reveal the presence of any micro-organisms. 
Fraenkel’s Pneumococcus.§ — Dr. Bernabeo has modified Foas 
method, and has succeeded in keeping alive and virulent for over a 
year Fraenkel’s Pneumococcus. The method consists in receiving the 
infected blood into small glass tubes 5 mm. in diameter and 20 cm. 
long, so that the blood completely fills the tube. This tube is then 
sealed by heat, and without any further treatment is kept away from 
the light at an ordinary temperature. 
* Board of Agriculture : Animal Tteports, &c., iv. (1894), Loudon, 1895, 142 pp., 
7 pis. and 2 maps. f Brit. Med. Journ., 1896, No. 1846, p. 1227. 
X Tom. cit., No. 1843, p. 68. § Tom. et p. cit. 
