ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
09 
gus. Yet tested by all other bacteriological methods this pseudo-bacillus 
is a bacterium, and only the hanging drop method showed apical growth, 
acropetal mode of branching, and appearances common among Basidio- 
mycetes. Hence minuteness, staining reactions, rapid growth, and the 
characters obtained in plate cultures, do not prove that an organism is a 
Schizomycete, and this point can only be decided by micro-cultures. 
Four Typhoid-like Bacilli isolated from Thames Mud.* — Dr. A. C. 
Houston describes four bacilli which were isolated from Thames mud, 
and gives a pictorial diagram showing their relation, as regards their 
chief morphological and biological characters, to one another, and also 
to some other allied organisms. The four bacilli are distinguished by the 
letters A B C D. Their chief characteristics are three or more flagella ; 
no acidity and no clot in litmus-milk culture, at 37° ; no gas develop- 
ment in gelatin shake-cultures. Their chief differences are that B 
exhibited diffuse cloudiness with a faint scum in phenol broth at 37°, 
while the growth of A C D was flocculent with varying amount of scum. 
A and C gave a trace of indol. All were actively motile. In size and 
shape they were much the same as B. typhosus, but if anything rather 
larger. None of them gave the Widal reaction. 
The diagram might be used by bacteriologists with advantage. 
Wet Rot in Potato, j — Herr C. Welimcr expresses the opinion that the 
wet rot of the potato is not an infective bacterial disease, but is directly 
due to certain environmental conditions, bacteria playing only a secondary 
part. His experiments show that potatoes placed in moisture, though 
exposed to aerial and contact infection, remain free from wet rot if the 
vessel be left uncovered. If, however, the vessel be covered over, the 
tubers will in a few days be affected with wet rot. When the environ- 
mental conditions are suitable, then bacterial agency is effective; and 
though it is possible that many bacteria may be able to produce the 
decomposition, yet there are two which are most frequently met with, 
viz. Bacillus i. and Amylobacter Navicula. 
Influence of Lecithin on the Biology of Anthrax. — According to 
Herr W. Taranoukhine J lecithin exerts considerable influence on the 
biology of the anthrax bacillus. The addition of pure lecithin or of 
substances containing lecithin, such as egg- yelk and calf’s brain, to 
mcat-pepton-agar, increases the growth. Pure lecithin aids the growth 
of the vegetative form of the virus and of the vaccine, and inhibits spore- 
formation. On the other hand, egg-yelk aids spore-production. 
Boiling much diminishes the stimulating effect. In 20 per cent, 
brain-pepton-agar, the anthrax rodlet is but little enlarged, while the 
vaccine rodlet becomes 3-4 times as long as on simple meat-pepton and 
egg-yelk agar. When the virus is cultivated on brain-pepton-agar at 
42'5°— 13°, spores are freely formed in two or three days. 
The author remarks that lecithin exerts a stimulating influence on 
tubercle, diphtheria, and some other bacteria. 
* Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., l te Abt., xxiv. (1898) pp. 518-25 (1 pi.), 
t Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesell., xvi. (1898) pp. 172-7 (2 figs.), 
t -Russ. Arch. f. Pathol., vi. (1898).] See Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., l te Abt., xxiv. 
(1898) p. 89G. 
