268 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Formalin as Test for Typhoid Bacillus.* * * § — According to Dr. Schild 
formalin may be used for distinguishing between the bacillus of typhoid 
fever and other bacteria resembling it. After exposure of gelatin culti- 
vation of typhoid to the vapour from 5 ccm. of formalin for 75 minutes, 
no results were obtained when subcultures in other media were incu- 
bated. On the other hand a water bacterium resembling the typhoid 
bacillus or Bacterium coli commune was found to be still capable of 
development even after two hours’ exposure. 
When a solution of formalin was added to the medium the difference 
was still more striking ; the growth of the typhoid bacilli was stopped 
by 1 part per 15,000, while Bacterium coli grew strongly at 1 per 3000, 
and the water bacterium at 1 per 6000. 
Pure cultivations of the three kinds of bacteria were also examined 
in the following way. To test-tubes containing 7 ccm. of sterilized 
neutral bouillon 0 • 1 ccm. of formalin was added. The formalin was 
therefore present in the proportion of 1 per 7000. The medium cannot 
of course be sterilized after the addition of the formalin, as the volatile 
aldehyd would be driven off by the heat. Tubes prepared in this man- 
ner were isolated with pure cultivations of typhoid bacilli, Bad. coli 
com. and the water bacterium, and then incubated. Only the typhoid 
tubes remained clear, those inoculated with Bad. coli com. or with the 
water bacterium becoming cloudy in 21 hours. 
Germicidal Properties of Human Mucus.t — According to Drs. 
Wurtz and Lermoyez, mucus collected with suitable precautions from 
the nasal mucosa possesses a bactericidal influence on some micro-organ- 
isms, e. g. Bacillus anthracis, the spores of which are killed after three 
hours’ exposure to its action. Nasal mucus exerts a similar action on 
many other pathogenic organisms, but this action is of variable intensity. 
Antibacterial Action of Oxychinaseptol. £ — Dr. F. Rohrer finds 
that oxychinaseptol (diaphtherin) has a highly inhibiting action on the 
development of micro-organisms, as shown by experiments with pure and 
mixed cultivations of pyogenic bacteria, and with pure anthrax cultiva- 
tions. Oxychinaseptol in 1 per cent, solution prevents the development 
of Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus if 2-4 drops be added to 9-12 ccm. 
bouillon ; mixed cultivation 3-4 drops, and 1-4 drops for anthrax. 
Egg-albumen as a Cultivation Medium for Micro-organisms.§ — Sig. 
C. Parascandole finds that hen’s egg albumen is not inferior to other 
media for cultivation purposes. His experiments were made with B. 
anthracis , B. typhi, Sp. cholerse, Sp. Beneke , Sp. Finkler-Prior , St. 
pyogenes aur., Str. pyogenes, B. cholerse gallinse, M. tetragenus. New-laid 
eggs were first cleaned with 90 per cent, spirit, and then washed for 
10 minutes in 1-1000 sublimate, and after a second cleaning were coated 
with paraffin in order to preserve them. When required for experiment 
most of the paraffin layer was scratched off with a sterilized knife and 
the rest removed with turpentine. This was followed by alcohol, sub- 
* Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., xiv (1893) pp. 717-8. 
f Journ. British Dental Assoc., xiv. (1893) p. 713. 
% Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., xiv. (1893) p.'551. 
§ La Riforma Med., 1893, p. 101. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., 
xiv. (1893) p. 291. 
