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SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Cultivation of Cholera in ITschinsky’s Medium.* — Dr. 0. Yoges 
finds that Uschinsky’s medium (see this Journal, 1893, p. 796) is 
eminently suitable for the cultivation of cholera, and in many respects 
decidedly superior to the pepton solution. The experiments showed 
that cholera bacilli not only formed a fine scum after eight hours’ 
incubation, but that with the exception of Bad. coli , other organisms 
had little tendency to develope and thus complicate the process as they 
do with the pepton solution. In other words the cholera bacillus can 
exist on a more scanty diet than many other organisms and are therefore 
found to predominate. The experiments were conducted in three stages, 
the first cultivations being made in test-tubes, the second on gelatin 
plates in Petri’s capsules, and the third in Erlenmeyer’s flasks in order 
to ascertain the behaviour when large quantities of the medium and of 
the material to be consumed were used. 
When prepared in large quantity the author found that the medium 
became cloudy and threw down a precipitate of calcium chloride. This 
was purposely omitted after it was found that the cholera bacillus throve 
equally well without it. 
The author further found that the medium could be adapted for 
the examination of water suspected of containing cholera germs. As 
ordinary water contains the salts suitable for the cholera bacillus it was 
merely necessary to compose a medium of the following composition : — 
sodium chloride 4, biphosphate of potash 1, lactate of ammonium 3, 
asparaginate of soda 2, are dissolved in 100 aq. dest. and the mixture 
sterilized. By adding 400 ccm. of the water to be examined to this 
solution a fluid of similar composition to the original Uschinsky’s medium 
is obtained. It is not, however, necessary that a special solution should 
be made, it is quite sufficient to put the salts alone in the water to be 
examined. 
The chief merit of this medium is that after an incubation of eight 
to ten hours a thick scum of cholera vibrios in almost pure cultivations 
is obtained. By admixture with 2 per cent, of agar a good solid medium 
is obtained and on this the cholera colonies grow readily and in 
characteristic shape. One peculiarity of this medium is noticeable, it 
never gives the indol reaction. 
Obtaining Germ-free Blood-serum.f — It is of the greatest importance 
to obtain blood-serum quite uncontaminated by mixture with air, says 
Dr. J. Kuprianon, as then its qualities need not be damaged by the action 
of heat or disinfectants. A sheep is brought into the laboratory and 
having been properly fixed the neck is shaved, and the vein and artery 
are exposed with the usual precautions. The blood is received into 
flasks holding about 1 litre ; these are stopped with caoutchouc plugs in 
which are two holes for the passage of glass tubes. One of these, bent 
at a right angle, is joined on to a rubber tube, to which is fixed a glass 
cannula. The vein or artery having been clamped the cannula is inserted 
into the distended part of the vessel and then ligatured. The other tube 
is stopped with cotton wool. It may be necessary to use several 
cannulas as they occasionally break. When the blood ceases to flow 
* Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., xv. (1894) pp. 453-7. 
t Tom. cit., pp. 458-62 (2 figs.). 
