ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
527 
animals ; from M. catarrJialis by peptonising gelatin ; and from M. 
subflavus by its shape, peptonising property, staining by Gram’s method, 
and transmissibility to animals. 
Acid-resisting Bacilli in Pus.* * * § — Dr. A. Dietrich found in the pus 
from a suppurated ovarian cyst bacteria which he took to be tubercle 
bacilli, as they were quite resistant to acid and alcohol. No trace of 
tubercle was found in any other part of the body, and four guinea-pigs, 
inoculated with the pus, remained healthy. 
Bacillus hastilis.f — Herr J. Seitz has often met with a thin rodlet 
in the oral cavity, which from its appearance he has designated B. 
hastilis. It may be pointed at one or both ends, or not at all. It may 
be curved, bulging in the middle, in pairs, chains, or heaps. It does not 
stain by Gram’s method. In bouillon it gives rise to a smell resembling 
decayed teeth, or faeces, or garlic. It forms carbonic acid and sulphu- 
retted hydrogen. 
Cultivation of Leprosy Bacillus. :f — Herr M. Teich, by means of 
suitable media, has succeeded in cultivating from five cases of leprosy a 
bacillus which is resistant to acid and alcohol, and is apparently identical 
with the microbes cultivated by Bordoni, Uffreduzzi, and others. The 
bacterium is characterised by great polymorphism, which is determined 
by the properties of the cultivation media. On suitable media the 
bacteria grow in the form of thin rodlets, which are quite like the 
Hansen-Neisser leprosy bacillus. On less favourable media the shape 
varies from thin to thick oval rodlets, bulging in different places, or the 
forms may be diphtheroid and quite degenerate. 
Bacillus fsecalis alkaligenes.§ — Dr. A. Fischer remarks that B. 
fsecalis alkaligenes occurs more frequently than is supposed, and is pro- 
bably often confounded with B. coli communis and the bacillus of typhoid 
fever. The litmus-milk test will serve to distinguish the organisms. 
It is sometimes important to discriminate B. fsecalis alkaligenes from B. 
typhosus ii. The formation of much acid or of alkali will demonstrate 
this, and hence the value of such a test. B. fsecalis alkaligenes is common 
not only in the intestine, but also in river water. 
Newman’s Bacteria. || — Dr. G. Newman has ably responded to a 
general demand for a description of bacteria and their relations which 
should be at once popular, accurate, and up to date. The writer has 
aimed at describing bacteria especially as they are related to the eco- 
nomy of nature to industrial processes, and to the public health. A 
curt perusal will satisfy all but the hypercritical that the object has 
been attained. Dr. Newman has produced a book which is readable and 
scientific, and though full of facts, these are narrated in a lively way, so 
that even the purification of sewage and antitoxins become almost inter- 
esting. 
* Berlin, klin. Wochenschr., 1899, No. 9. See Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., l te Abt., 
xxv. (1899) pp. 882-3. 
t Zeitscbr. f. Hygiene u. Infektskr., xxx. (1899) part 1. See Centralbl. Bakt. u 
Par., l te Abt., xxv. (1899) p. 929. 
X Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., l te Abt., xxv. (1899) pp. 756-61. 
§ Tom. cit., pp 693-5. 
|| London, John Murray, 1899, xii. and 351 pp. (8 pis. and 70 figs.). 
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