ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
611 
bouillon free from pepton or serum, from which the proteids coagulable 
by heat had been removed, had no influence on the animal organism, 
especially that of the dog, injected cultures of St. pyogenes aureus sus- 
pended in this fluid medium, so that the dose corresponded to about 
7-8 ccm. per kilo, of the body weight. There occurred a significant fall 
of blood pressure, the respiration was hurried, the animal had convul- 
sions, accompanied by defsecation, micturition, and vomiting. The blood 
lost its coagulability, remaining fluid for hours, even until it began to 
decompose. Dead cultures as well as germ-free filtrates had the same 
effect. Other liquefying bacteria, such as Proteus vulgaris and Finkler- 
Prior, exhibited similar effects. The author lays it down that these 
phenomena are produced by bacterial ferments, and that they are to be 
obtained from alcoholic precipitates of the filtrates, as these showed the 
same effects as the bacteria. Rabbits were less sensitive. Coagulability 
and fall of blood pressure do not seem to be directly related. 
No other specific poisons than these enzymes were found, though the 
author believes that their action may have been masked by that of the 
enzymes. 
Phagocytosis and Actinomycosis.* — MM. Pawlowsky and Maksu- 
toff consider that actinomycosis exhibits fine examples of the struggle 
between the parasite and the organism ; for directly the latter has been 
invaded, it is surrounded by phagocytes (mononucleated leucocytes and 
young connective tissue cells) which, developing into large epithelioid 
cells, seize on isolated parasites or groups thereof. If now the cells 
possess sufficient vitality, the parasites are destroyed. But if, on the 
contrary, the parasite be victorious, it leaves the cell which has perished, 
and then excites the advent of new phagocytes, owing to its chimiotactic 
influence. These form a barrier around the parasite, seize on its ter- 
minal swellings, arrest its development, and end by inducing therein 
involution forms and retrogressive degeneration, which terminate in the 
formation of hyaline bodies. These hyaline bodies, though smaller and 
less frequent than in rhinoscleroma, have a similar origin and are para- 
sitic products. 
Growth of Streptococcus longus in Bouillon.j — The experiments 
recorded by Herr R. Waldvogel are directly connected with those of 
Knorr, who found that he could immunise animals by one species of 
streptococcus against other streptococci. These results raise the ques- 
tion of the specific distinctness of streptococci. The author cultivated a 
long streptococcus in bouillon, and inoculated mice therewith, and found 
that the two forms of streptococcus, the long and short chains, could be 
obtained by passing one and the same kind through animals — using, in 
fact, a living cultivation medium. The biological characters were not 
disturbed by these morphological changes. 
Differences between Bacterium coli commune and Bacillus 
typhosus.J — Mr. H. S. Fremlin has compared the morphological, 
cultural, and pathogenic properties of Bact. coli commune of man and of 
other animals, not only with one another, but also with the Bacillus 
* Ann. Inst. Pasteur, vii. (1893) pp. 544-9 (20 figs.). 
t Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., xv. (1894) pp. 837-9. 
I Archiv f. Hygiene, xix. (1893) pp. 295-316. Cf. this Journal, ante , p. 388. 
