ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
71 
dead of this disease, numerous micro-organisms were found in the blood. 
Morphologically they were diplococci, diplobacilli, and short and long 
rodlets. All these belonged to one species, and only one microbe could 
be cultivated from the blood. The same microbe was also found in the 
pericardial fluid, in the bile, liver, muscles, and intestihal contents. 
The microbe, which was cultivated in the ordinary media, was found 
to be pathogenic, not only to fish, but also to rabbits, guinea-pigs, and 
mice. 
The blood of healthy specimens of Leuciscus rutilus was found to 
be free from bacteria. The microbe is identical with Bacterium vulgare 
and Proteus vulgaris. 
No special contamination of the lake water before or at the time 
of the epizootic was discovered, though the water-level was low and 
the temperature high. 
Relation of the Toxin and Antitoxin of Snake Venom.* — Dr. C. 
J. Martin, in a supplementary paper, confirms the conclusions previously 
arrived at by him, that the antagonism between the toxins and anti- 
toxins is a directly chemical one, and is not duo to an interaction solely 
produced by the agency of the cells of the organism into which these 
substances enter. The present experiments were made with the venom 
of Hoplocephalus curtus ; the antivenene was prepared by Calmette, and 
rabbits were used for the experiments. It was found that about the 
same quantity of antivenene necessary to neutralise the venom in vitro 
has the same effect when the former is injected into the blood-stream 
and the latter subcutaneously. When, however, venom and antivenene 
are introduced simultaneously and subcutaneously, it requires ten to 
twenty times the quantity of antivenene to neutralise the toxin. The 
explanation of the slower diffusion of the antitoxins offered is that 
their molecule is of larger size than that of the native proteids, and 
hence diffuses through membranes slowly as compared with the toxin, 
the molecule of which, though large, is less than that of the proteid. 
Generalisation of Diphtheria Bacilli-t — Dr. Metin records experi- 
ments which appear to show that the diphtheria bacillus ((Loeffler) 
does not multiply in the viscera when it alone has been introduced into 
the organism. If it be found in the blood and organs, then its presence 
is due to association with other microbes, e.g. Streptococcus and Staphylo- 
coccus, or to a late post-mortem examination. 
Gonococcus in the Blood.f — Dr. P. Colombini records a remarkable 
case of generalised gonorrhoeal infection, in which the Gonococcus was 
detected in the blood as well o,s in several abscesses. 
Bacteriology of Trachoma.§— Herr L. Muller has succeeded in culti- 
vating a bacillus from the conjunctival discharge of a case of trachoma. 
The microbe was morphologically and culturally identical with the 
influenza bacillus. It is a delicate rodlet which will grow only on sub- 
strata containing blood. A positive result was obtained in 11 out of 
15 cases. In other forms of conjunctivitis the results were negative. 
* Proc. Roy. Soc., lxiv. (1898) p. 88. See Nature, lix. (1898) p. 186. Cf. this 
Journal, 1898, p. 623. + Ann. Inst. Pasteur, xii. (1898) pp. 596-603. 
t Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., l te Abt., xxiv. (1898) pp. 955-63 
§ Wiener Klin. Wochenschr., 1897, No. 42. See Bot. Centralbl., 1898, Beih. 
p. U4. 
