On Two New Nematodes (Aphelenchoidea) from Tobacco Roots in India

Two new species belonging to two different families of the super-family Aphelenchoidea are described. The material was obtained from the roots of tobacco plants, Nicotiana tabacum.The worms were killed by hot water, fixed in F.A.A. solution, cleared in 1% glycerine alcohol mixture and mounted in pure glycerine.

On an Interesting New Nematode Velariocephalus trilokiae gen. et sp. nov. from an Indian Frog and a New Subfamily Velariocephalinae (Cosmocercidae)

During a visit to Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh (India) in April, 1956, the writer examined thirty specimens of the frog Rana cyanophlyctis and found that every one of them was heavily infected with an interesting nematode in the rectum. Large numbers of males and females of this parasite were collected and fixed in 5% formalin containing 10% glycerine. Specimens thus fixed and preserved could easily be dissected for preparing mounts of reproductive organs for detailed study. Before being dissected the preserved worms were at first washed in tapwater and then placed in 70% glycerine alcohol which was allowed to evaporate until the worms were in almost pure glycerine.

Rapid Method for Mounting Nematodes in Glycerine

The prevailing method of preparing glycerine mounts of nematodes consists essentially of transferring the specimens from the fixative to 1.5-2.0 per cent glycerine in water and then allowing the water to evaporate very slowly until the nematodes are in pure glycerine. By this method evaporation is completed in not less than four weeks as any attempt to hurry this process will distort the specimens. A desiccator is used to complete the removal of the water from the glycerine.

A Further Contribution to the Serology of Typhus Fever

1. The development in typhus fever blood of agglutinins for a bacillus of the colon-paratyphoid group, which was isolated in 1921 from the faeces of a typhus case is shown to be a frequent occurrence in the disease as met with in Ireland, Poland and Syria. The bacillus has preserved its agglutina-bility up to the time of writing—a period of five years. Owing to its similarity to a bacillus previously isolated by the writer and which was designated bacillus “U,” this bacillus has been named B. agglutinabilis “U2.”2. It has been shown that bacteria preserved in alcohol even for 3 years are sensitive for use in the serological test, and that sera to which equal volumes of pure glycerine have been added retain their agglutinins for atleast 5 years.3. Five strains of B. proteus “X 19” fermented salicin with the production of acid and gas. Ordinary Proteus strains had no action on this glucoside and neither had the anindologenes strain “Kingsbury” although belonging to the “X 19” group.4. Strains of B. proteus “X 19” show great differences in their sensitiveness to typhus fever agglutinins.5. Views which have been advanced to explain the Weil-Felix reaction are discussed and the conclusion is reached that to label it as an instance of paragglutination does not account for the rise and fall of the agglutinins—agglutinins which are formed not only for B. proteus “X2” and “X 19” but for certain strains of the B. pyocyaneus and colon-paratyphoid-typhoid groups.