ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
73 
Varieties and Virulence of Pneumococcus.* — Dr. J. W. Eyre and 
Dr. J. W. Washbourn are of opinion that there are types of Pneumo- 
coccus which ditfer from one another in virulence and in biological 
characters ; and their recent investigations show that in describing 
varieties of the Pneumococcus, besides the biologic il characters and the 
initial virulence, the power of acquiring and of retaining a high degree 
of virulence must be taken into account. These recent observations 
deal with four races of Pneumococcus, three of which were derived from 
pathological lesions in the human subject. In these there was about 
the same initial virulence; the standard' virulence (i.e. 0*000001 of a 
loop, holding about half a milligram), fatal within 48 hours, was attained 
in less than a dozen passages, and it was maintained for a considerable 
period. The fourth variety was obtained from the saliva of a healthy 
man. From the others it differed in its capability of growing at 20° C., 
in the fact that while its initial virulence was not less than that of the 
other races, there was great difficulty in raising it to the standard, and 
in that after the standard virulence had been reached, it very quickly 
diminished. In fact, this particular race, which had been living a 
saprophytic existence, possessed a low capacity for retaining a high 
degree of virulence, while the other three parasitic races possessed great 
capabilities for acquiring and retaining a high degree of virulence. 
Infective Sarcomata in Dogs.f — Mr. G. B. Smith and Dr. J. W. 
Washbourn, who have already described their experiments dealing with 
infective tumours on the genitals of dogs, give an account of a series of 
inoculations into the subcutaneous tissue. Out of 17 inoculations, 4 were 
unsuccessful; while in the remaining 13 definite tumours developed. 
The malignant character of the growth is shown by the secondary de- 
posits in the internal viscera. The growths presented the usual charac- 
ters of a round-celled sarcoma, and no inflammatory appearances were 
made out in the actively growing tumours. The authors claim that they 
have shown that these infective round-celled sarcomata affecting the geni- 
tals of dogs can be transplanted from their natural site to the subcuta- 
neous tissue of other dogs, and from the latter through a series of dogs. 
They have also observed that when these tumours attain their maxi- 
mum growth, which usually occurs in about three months, they may dis- 
appear spontaneously, with or without ulceration. If the tumour disap- 
pear, the animal is then immune to subsequent vaccination. 
Smegma Bacillus in Human Sputum.-^ Herr Pappenheim J records 
a case which was diagnosed as tuberculosis owing to the presence of red- 
stained rodlets in the sputum when treated by Gabbet’s method. Thero 
were, however, no pulmonary physical signs. From their shape and 
arrangement, and from the decolorising action of alcohol, the author 
believes that these rodlets were not tubercle but smegma bacilli, or some 
closely allied variety. 
Herr A. Fraenkel§ has repeatedly observed, in cases of pulmonary 
* Lancet, 1899, i. pp. 19-22. 
f Brit. Med. Journ., 1898, ii. pp. 1807-11 (2 figs.). 
t Berlin. Klin. Wochenschr., 1898, p. 809. See Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., l‘° ALt., 
xxiv. (1898) pp. 699-700. 
