ANALYSIS OF CONTINENTAL JOURNALS. 
question in perfectly fresh variolic or vaccinal lymph, collected 
and preserved with all the necessary precautions, in order to 
keep away every extraneous impurity. In carrying out this 
operation, the pustules were opened by means of a new lancet, 
the liquid was received in capillary tubes which had been 
heated to a moderate red tint, and from which the matter was 
transferred to the object-glass by blowing. This being ac¬ 
complished, no time was lost in hermetically enclosing the 
preparation by fixing down the covering-glass with good 
pitch cement. Neither mould nor bacteria were developed 
in lymph thus preserved. Pasteur’s fluid, to which was 
added a capillary tube containing the matter collected as 
above, also remained perfectly clear—proofs that this pro¬ 
cedure protects the lymph from any alteration by foreign 
substances. In fresh preparations, Cohn found that they 
contained, among other morphotic constituent parts, minute 
granules or globules of a diameter less than O'OO 1 m., the largest 
attaining at most three fourths of this size; and their degree 
of refraction being nearly that of serum, at first there was 
much difficulty in distinguishing them. Cohn believes them 
to be cells composed of a membrane and contents. At first 
these elements are generally isolated, though rarely they are 
joined in twos to form a figure 8; but if the preparation is 
maintained at a constant temperature of 35° Centigrade, there 
is observed in a few hours not only a considerable augmen¬ 
tation of the conjoined elements, but, in addition, the ap¬ 
pearance of more elongated groups formed of six, eight, or a 
larger number of cells. These cells are very mobile in their 
relations towards each other; so that, after a certain period, 
and in consequence of the multiplication of the elements, 
there are seen filaments in the form of chaplets giving rise to 
groups of cells of variable sizes. The latter are evidently 
multiplied in a very rapid manner by division or gemmation ; 
but their extreme minuteness is opposed to any direct ob¬ 
servation of these phenomena. The proliferation continues 
for several days. In old lymph the corpuscles have increased 
in volume, their contents are more refrangent, and they adhere 
more closely to each other, owing to the appearance of an in¬ 
termediate mucous substance (a mass of zoogloca). These 
elements are not endowed with any proper movement, save 
that of a molecular kind. Cohn characterises them as 
follows : 
“ Microsphcera (globular bacteria). 
“ Family of Schizomycetae, Group of the Bacteriacae. 
“ Colourless cells, very minute, globular or spherical, 
generally motionless, multiplying by division or gemmation 
XLVI. 20 
