SURGICAL PATHOLOGY. 
465 
thrax from the mother to the foetus. He inoculated guinea 
pigs in gestation with the virus, and removed the foetus with 
all necessary care. He then examined sections of tissues, 
after coloration, making cultures at the same time, and ob¬ 
tained the results similar to those of Strauss and Chamberlain, 
proving that the passage of the bacteria takes place from the 
mother to the foetus .—Archiv f. Anat. and Physiol. 
ON THE MODE OF ACTING OF THE BACTERIAS OF ANTHRAX IN 
THE ORGANISM. 
BY MR. EL. METSCHNIKOFF. 
In numerous experiments in which the author inoculated 
the spore of the virus of anthrax in the anterior chamber of 
the eye of frogs, sheep and rabbits, he observed the prolifer¬ 
ation of the bacterias in a little over three hours, and after 
six hours and a half, saw bacilli anthracis in the form of rods. 
The bacteridies subsequently reached the form of long 
threads. After twenty hours numerous leucocytes gathered 
in the anterior chamber, surrounding the bacteridies. Upon 
examination, these leucocytes were found filled with colorless 
bacilli. Under the microscope Metschnikoff saw the leuco¬ 
cytes destroying the bacilli. 
In another series of experiments he placed under the skin 
of a frog a small piece of silk thread loaded with * spores of 
anthrax, enveloped in a piece of filtering paper well sterilized. 
Comparing then the bacteries of this little mass, which the 
leucocytes were unable to penetrate, to a piece of silk thread 
covered with anthrax virus placed in direct contact with the 
sub-cutaneous tissues, the following results were obtained: 
In the first case, the bacteridies would develop into bacilli, 
then in threads; in the second, they diminished in number in 
proportion to the increase of the leucocytes. In twenty-four 
hours they had all disappeared. 
These experiment show, that in the fight of the organism 
against anthrax virus, the leucocytes play a very active part. 
— Rev. des Sc. Med. 
