730 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
piece of tlie jelly under a cover-glass a mass of short, thick, twisted 
filaments was observed. If, however, a cover-glass preparation was 
made and stained in the usual way, only short thin bacteria-rodlets were 
found. By merely staining with methylen-blue it was seen that the 
thick threads remained unstained, while at one end were one or two 
brightly stained rodlets, the long axis of which was usually vertical to 
that of the thick filament. Thus it would seem that the growing part 
of the organism, which according to the illustrations given is T-shaped, 
resemble bacteria-rodlets, and that the vegetative part secretes a jelly. 
The authors failed to obtain a pure cultivation of their organism, which 
they call Bacterium pediculatum. 
Pathogenic Bacillus of Progs.* — Under the name Bacillus Banarum 
Sig. G. Catterina describes a new species which is pathogenic to frogs. 
The rods are about 2 /j. long and 1 /* broad, rounded on both sides, 
solitary, or united into chains of three or four. 
Bacillus of Bubo Plague.f — Ur. Yersin states that preparations 
made from the enlarged lymphatic glands in plague show very large 
numbers of a short stumpy bacillus with rounded ends, which is easily 
colourable with anilin dyes but not by Gram’s method. The ends of the 
bacilli stain better than the middle, so that a clear space often remains. 
Not unfrequently the bacilli are surrounded by a capsule. Cultivations 
on gelose, glycerin gelose, serum, and bouillon do well, but the best 
medium is one composed of 2 per cent, alkaline peptone and 1 to 2 per 
cent, gelatin. Under the Microscope these cultures show chains of short 
bacilli, with bulgings in some places. Involution forms are common, 
especially in old cultivations. 
Bats, mice, and guinea pigs, when inoculated with bubo pulp, always 
die, the bodies showing characteristic lesions together with numerous 
bacilli in the glands. The first cultivations on pepton agar are of slow 
growth, but afterwards colonies of rapid development appear, and pure 
cultivations of these are found to be of diminished virulence, and after 
a time virulence is lost. Feeding experiments showed that the bacillus 
was as infectious as inoculable. The organism was also found in flies 
and on the soil 4 to 5 cm. below the surface. 
Cholera and Vibrios.^ — M. E. Metschnikoff discusses, in his fourth 
memoir on cholera, the question of immunity, and more especially 
occupies himself with questions bearing on intestinal cholera. He finds 
(1) that local immunity cannot be explained by particular conditions 
which prevent the microbe from living, for it may be found beyond the 
cholera area and in places quite free from it. (2) Local immunity can- 
not be regarded as an unconscious and permanent vaccination of the 
inhabitants. (3) The blood of persons residing in exempt places does 
not protect against Koch’s vibrio. (4) The injection of cholera cultures 
does not protect. (5) The development of the cholera vibrio is con- 
siderably affected when growing in association with other microbes. 
(6) The immunity of animals to intestinal cholera is in great measure 
due to the inhibitory influence of the flora of the gastro-intestinal canal 
* Bull. Soc. Yen.-Trentina Sci. Nat., v. (1894) pp. 190-4. See Bot. Centralbl., 
lix. (1894.) p. 214. f Ann. Inst. Pasteur., viii. (1894) pp. 662-7 (1 pl.).j 
X Torn, cit., pp. 529-89 (1 pi.). 
