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so remarkable when the source of raw sewage is taken into consideration, and when it is remembered
that each fragment of deposit collecting on the coke in the filter-beds probably represents
the flow of hundreds of gallons of sewage.
The practical bearing of these experiments, apart from the scientific interest attaching to
them, would seem largely to depend on whether the effluent is discharged into a stream used for
drinking purposes, or otherwise.
In conclusion, no further claim is made than this—
I—In crude sewage, in bacterial coke-beds, and in the effluent from bacterial-beds, there
are certain bacteria which, after being stained with hot carbol-fuchsin, resist decolorisation with
33 per cent. nitric acid.
II.—Some of these "acid-fast" bacteria cannot, with certainty, be morphologically distinguished
from the tubercle bacillus.
III.—In one instance a guinea-pig inoculated with the deposit accumulating on the coke of
a bacterial-bed died, and presented, on examination, the appearance of death from tubercle infection,
and sections of its organs, when appropriately stained, showed the presence of numerous
tubercle bacilli.
DESCRIPTION OF MICRO-PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWING
ACCOMPANYING REPORT.
Fig. 1.—Unstained Barking coke deposit. x 85.
Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5.—Barking coke deposit; stained for tubercle.* x 1,500.
Fig. 6.—Deposit from Crossness crude sewage collected in trough at Crossness; stained for
tubercle* x 1,500.
Fig. 7.—Drawings from various cover-glass preparations made from Barking and Crossness
coke deposits, showing the different shapes and forms of the "acid-fast" bacteria; stained for
tubercle* x 1,000.
Figs. 8 and 9.—Section of bronchial gland of guinea-pig, dead of tuberculosis; stained for
tubercle. x 1,500.
Figs. 10 and 11.—Section of spleen of guinea-pig, dead of tuberculosis; stained for tubercle.
x 1,500.
The micro-photographs were taken by Dr. Albert Norman, and it must be understood that
the bacteria shewn in them were red in colour, and presented a similar appearance to those drawn
and coloured by Mr. Lapidge (see fig. 7).
The original micro-photographs (with the exception of fig. 1) showed a magnification of
1,000, but owing 1 to a misunderstanding the reproductions (figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11)
show a magnification of 1,500
* Stained in hot carbol-fuchsin, decolourised in 33 per cent. nitric acid, counter-stained with methylene-blue.