ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
667 
typhoid serum test (“ balling ”). Bacilli presenting analogous reactions 
were found in the stools of persons suffering from leukhaemia, Bright’s 
disease, and malaria. Most of these bacilli were pathogenic to guinea- 
pigs. Typhoid serum was found to have a protective effect against the 
infection. 
Antistaphylococcus Serum.* — M. Capman obtained serum effective 
against the culture and toxin of Staphylococcus by immunising dogs 
with the toxin obtained by filtration. The degree of immunisation was 
directly as the total quantity of the toxin injected. The serum of dogs 
thus immunised possessed bactericidal and antitoxic qualities more or 
less active, according to the degree of vaccination. The serum must, 
however, not be drawn too soon ; for it was found that at first the serum 
was more toxic than the toxin itself. This hypertoxicity (attributed to 
some peculiar action of the liver) is merely a temporary condition, and 
passes off in from 14 to 21 days. 
The phenomena of toxin poisoning enumerated by the author are : — 
oedema, suppuration, necrosis, septicaemia, cachexia, arthritis, paraplegia, 
and osteomyelitis. 
Bacillus Smegmatis and Tubercle Bacillus.f — Dr. Grethe points out 
that errors in diagnosis appear to have occurred from the confusion of the 
Bacillus smegmatis with that of the tubercle. Reliable diagnostic re- 
sults may be obtained by staining with concentrated alcoholic methylen- 
blue. This stains the Bacillus smegmatis well ; and if the preparation 
be first stained with carbol-fuchsin, the tubercle bacillus, when present, 
is easily identified by its red colour, which contrasts with the blue of 
the rest of the preparation. 
The Middle Ear and Microbes. £ — Dr. Lannois is reported to have 
made investigations on the middle ear of dogs and rabbits killed for 
other purposes. When all precautions were taken to avoid accidental 
inoculation, the cultures made were absolutely inactive. The middle 
ear of mammals may therefore be regarded as free from microbes, and 
as a closed aseptic cavity. It is known that the nasal mucus possesses 
a strong bactericidal property, and the author is inclined to attribute a 
similar property to the mucous membrane which lines the tympanic 
cavity. 
Bacteriology of Infantile Diarrhoea. §— Dr. Allan MacFadyen ex- 
plains why it is that we have no positive knowledge regarding the cause 
of infantile diarrhoea, though everything points to a bacterial origin to 
this complaint. The author calls attention to the work of various ob- 
servers, and comes to the conclusion that there can be little doubt that 
in hot weather milk undergoes a profounder decomposition than usual ; 
the changes are due to bacteria, and may occur without visible alteration 
in the appearance of the milk. Milk, therefore, furnishes a more favour- 
able field for investigation than the intestine. If the living agents in 
the milk were accurately known, we should be in a position to determine 
the best methods for their extinction. Further research may determine 
more accurately the nature of the toxic products, and of the bacteria 
that produce them. 
* Comptes Rendus, cxxiii. (1896) pp. 549-51. 
f See Brit. Med. Journ , 1896, No. 1865, p. 52. 
X See p. cit. § See tom. cit., No. 1863, p. 628. 
