MUCH has been written lately on the use of gelatin for therapeutical purposes as a hzmostatic, both in the treatment of external and internal hamorrhage, and in that of aneurysms by injection. The numerous accidents resulting from its employment have, however, tended to discourage its general adoption in medicine. I believe that the value of this peculiar substance would be better appreciated if a fuller understanding were prevalent of the exact nature of the dangers connected with its use. It

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... s with this object in view that the present work has been undertaken. I. FREQUENCY OF TETANUS SPORES IN GELATIN. There is no doubt whatever that certain specimens of market gelatin contain the spores of tetanus. Levy and Bruns found these pathogenic organisms in four out of six specimens, and Schmiedicke in two out of three, whilst Anderson obtained a pure culture of tetanus in one out of seven samples. Following up this work I have investigated fifteen specimens of gelatin from different countries, and tetanus bacilli have been obtained in six, or in 40 per cent. of the whole. The method adopted is as follows :-One grm. of gelatin is placed in a small sterile flask containing 50 C.C. of ordinary bouillon. It is then incubated at 37" C. for seven days, when a portion of the culture is filtered through a Chamberland bougie (Martin's apparatus). 0.3 C.C. of the filtrate (which possesses a more or less putrefactive odour) is inoculated into the back of a mouse, and 0.2 C.C. of the unfiltered culture into that of another. Within twenty-four hours, if there be tetanus organisms in the culture, typical tetanic symptoms will appear, beginning in Being the abstract of a thesis for the degree of M.D., Cambridge.