526 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
in company with B. coli communis and bacteria from garden soil. The 
medium used was boiled potato. The observation is of some importance, 
for a pretty general opinion prevails that typhoid bacilli are soon sup- 
pressed by other bacteria when competing on the same medium. 
New Pathogenic Microbe of Sewage.* — Dr. E. Klein isolated 
from the exudations of a guinea-pig which died after subcutaneous 
injection of fresh sewage, a bacillus varying in length from 0*6 /x to 
1*25 /x, the breadth being about 0*4 /x. It is non-motile; it stains 
slightly in Gram. It grows slowly on gelatin, and does not liquefy the 
medium. It was also cultivated in agar and broth. It produces 
neither gas nor acid, and in fluid media it produces alkali. There is 
no odour from the cultures. It is pathogenic to guinea-pigs and mice, 
but not to rabbits. On account of its derivation from sewage and its 
pyogenic action, the new microbe is called Bacillus pyogenes cloacinus. 
Spirillosis of Geese. f — Dr. J. Cantacuzene records his observations 
on the spirillosis of geese. These observations were undertaken for 
the purpose of ascertaining the truth of Gabritchewsky’s statements 
or of refuting them. The latter accepted the humoral view, and 
ascribed the disappearance of the spirilla to the bacteriolytic action 
of the blood. The author, however, working in the laboratory of 
M. Metchnikoff, concludes that the bactericidal properties of the serum 
are only developed outside the organism, and the further from the 
natural condition the stronger are these properties. There is no rela- 
tion in fact between the phenomena observed in vitro and those which 
take place in a living being. The spirilla are not destroyed in the 
blood. There is no englobement by phagocytes. The destruction takes 
place in the spleen and within the large macrophages of that organ. 
New Diplococcus isolated from Horseflesh.^; — Herr H. G. van 
Harrevelt isolated a diplococcus from the muscle of a horse which had 
been slaughtered for enteritis. Occasionally it forms quite short chains, 
e.g. of four. It is somewhat smaller than Streptococcus pyogenes . It 
stains well with the ordinary dyes, but is decolorised by Gram’s method. 
It grows well on the ordinary media, especially those derived from cattle. 
It thrives best when the reaction is acid. The growth is diminished by 
the addition of glycerin. Milk is coagulated. It does not produce 
sulphuretted hydrogen, but young cultures evolve the odour of boiled 
crabs. It does not produce gas. Gelatin is slowly liquefied. It does 
not form indol, nitrous acid, or pigment. The reaction of the cultures 
is alkaline, even on acid agar. 
Guinea-pigs and rabbits resisted subcutaneous injection, but suc- 
cumbed to intraperitoneal. 
The diplococcus has much resemblance to Micrococcus meningitidis 
equi , but differs therefrom in being pathogenic to animals and in decolor- 
ising by Gram’s method. From Streptococcus and Staphylococcus it is 
distinguished by the constancy of its Diplococcus form ; from D. lanceo - 
latus by its peptonising power ; from M. intracellular is meningitidis by 
its peptonising power and greater pathogenic action on laboratory 
* Brit. Med. Journ., 1899, ii. p. 69. 
t Ann. Inst. Pasteur, xiii. (1899) pp. 529-57 (2 pis. and 10 figs.). 
t Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., l te Abt., xxvi. (1899) pp. 121-5. 
