388 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Differences between Bacillus typhosus and “Typhoid” Bacilli.* 
— Sigg. Germano and Maurea point out that terms like Faeces- bacillus 
(Bar. neapolitanus) and Bacterium coli commune are unsuitable, as they 
include a whole series of bacilli having different characters. From the 
same faeces or the same body quite a number of “ typhoid ” bacilli may 
be isolated. Though the morphological and biological characters of the 
typhoid-like bacteria are not absolutely constant, there are differences in 
their pathogenic properties, in their fermentation in milk and different 
sugars, their reducing power, and excretion of acid. Between these and 
the bacillus entericus or typhosus are numerous gradations, but the 
authors do not accept the view advocated by Rodet and Roux, who hold 
that there exists a definite transition between the “ typhoid ” like 
bacilli and Bacillus typhosus. 
Of the numerous species three are frequent; one of these is a mobile 
bacillus, pathogenic to mice, which coagulates milk, gives the indoi reac- 
tion, has great reducing power, decomposes, with development of gas, 
grape, milk, and cane sugars, and decolorizes jequirity solution. 
Another typhoid bacillus differs from the foregoing in that it does 
not ferment cane sugar or decolorize jequirity solution. The third does 
not coagulate milk. 
According to the authors there are no real differences between the 
typhus-bacilli of different origin, though some grow more strongly than 
others. From comparing 88 cultivations of typhoid bacilli, and 12 
typhus cultures of different origins, the authors found that the occurrence 
or non-occurrence of gas development in puncture cultivations in agar 
with 2 per cent, grape sugar may be considered a certain diagnostic cri- 
terion, for the typhus bacillus does not excite gas formation, and this is 
all the more useful, as diagnosis may be made in 24 hours. 
Other characteristics, such as absence of indoi reaction, non-coagula- 
tion of milk, fermentation on sugar, pathogenic action, mobility, cilia, 
<fcc., have but a restricted value. 
Value of Bacteriological Diagnosis of Asiatic Cholera.| — Prof. 
Sheridan Delepine comes to the conclusion that it is as yet impossible to 
speak dogmatically of the infallibility of the bacteriological diagnosis of 
cholera asiatica. As is well known, Cunningham and Klein have 
demonstrated the existence of a large number of varieties of spirilla in 
choleraic dejecta, and the observations of the former have not, perhaps, 
yet received the attention they deserve. The scepticism, there- 
fore, of those who doubted whether some cases, which occurred in 
England last summer, were true cases of Asiatic cholera, seems to be jus- 
tified. 
Characteristic Mobility of the Typhoid Bacillus.^ — In experiments 
made for the purpose of determining the differential diagnosis of Bacillus 
typhosus and bacteria of a similar kind, Dr. C. Terni made some inter- 
esting observations on the mobility of this organism. The medium on 
* Ziegler’s Beitrage, xii. p. 494. See Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., xv. 
(1894) p. 60. 
t Brit. Med. Journ., 1894, No. 1725, pp. 120-2. 
X Ano. 1st. d’lgiene Speriment. d. R. Univ. d. Roma, iii. N.S. fasc. 3. See 
Ceutralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., xv. (1894) pp. 249-50. 
