ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
431 
Growth of the Typhoid Bacillus in Soil.* — Dr. S. Martin’s report 
on the growth of the typhoid bacillus in the soil deals with the growth 
<of the bacillus in soils of diverse character, and with the viability of the 
bacillus under differing conditions of temperature, as affected by drying 
and by the presence of other bacilli in the soil. 
The general conclusions are that the soils which are favourable to 
the growth of the typhoid bacillus are those which have been cultivated, 
more particularly soils of gardens and the entourage of houses. In these 
soils the bacillus was found to be alive and to have retained its vegeta- 
tive properties for 456 days. 
Certain soils, when sterilised, independently of the quantity of water 
which they contain, are absolutely inimical to the growth of the typhoid 
bacillus. These were all virgin soils, sandy or peaty. There is no 
evidence to show what property of these soils it is which kills the 
bacillus. 
In favourable soils in a moist condition the bacillus not only grew 
at a temperature of 37°, but even at much lower temperatures (as low as 
3° C.). The viability of the bacillus in the presence of other and com- 
peting organisms was found to present, at any rate for the present, great 
difficulties, which are however expected not to be insuperable. 
Bacillus of Distemper (Febris catarrhalis epizootica canum).| — 
Dr. Jess isolated from the nasal discharge of dogs suffering from dis- 
temper a bacillus 1*8-2 *3 /x long and 0*6-0 *9 /x broad. The bacillus 
was also found in the blood and internal viscera, and in the conjunctival 
secretion. Jt is easily stained by the usual auilin dyes and also by 
Gram’s method. The bacillus from the nose or eye exhibits polar 
staining with phenol-fuchsin, but when cultivated in bouillon the whole 
rodlet is stained. In pure cultures the bacilli are single and separate, 
while in the body chains as long as 11 /x are met with. Though the 
original stock was isolated in Petri’s capsules by incubating for 24 hours 
at 37°, characteristic colonies weie obtained on gelatin at room tempera- 
ture (15°— 16° B.) in 3 days. The colonies are whetstone-shaped. The 
organism was also cultivated on agar, blood-serum, and potato. In 
hanging drops lively movements are visible. A single flagellum at one 
pole was demonstrated by means of Loeffler’s method. Infection of pure 
cultures produced fever, loss of appetite, discharge from nose and eves, 
diarrhoea with bloody stools, and even sudden death after 3 days. The 
incubation period of the experimental disease was 3-1 days. 
* Rep. Local Govt. Board, 1897-8, pp. 308-17. 
t Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., l le Abt., xxv. (1899) pp. 511-G (1 pi. and 3 figs.). 
