64 THE VITAMINES 



with the vitamines, or with the substances from which they are 

 formed. 



All of the above mentioned observations conform preferably with 

 the conception of two or three different vitamines. 



FUNGI 



Because of the lesser practical significance as compared with 

 bacteria, the question as to the vitamine requirements of fungi 

 received little attention. Lutz (168) made the observation that fungi 

 often show an interruption in growth when the nutritive medium is 

 exhausted. Still, this observation could be attributed to a general 

 exhaustion of nutritive constituents in the medium. According to a 

 paper by Currie (169), Aspergillus niger needs no extra addition in 

 order to grow, and yet he states that an extract of old mycellium, or 

 spore bearing portions of the same fungus, brings about quite a 

 definite acceleration in the growth of a new culture of the same 

 fungus. 



The only work affording an insight into the vitamine requirements 

 of parasitic and saprophytic fungi is the recent investigation of 

 Willaman (170) . He worked with Sclerotinia cinerea [(Bon) Schroter], 

 which he sought to cultivate on a solution of purified salts, cane 

 sugar and nitrates. This experiment, and others in which there 

 was also an addition of asparagine and amino acids, turned out 

 negative. The results were different when fruit juices, yeast or 

 extracts of wheat germ were used. The method of procedure was so 

 chosen that the surface of the mycellium was measured in square 

 centimeters, and the number of spores noted. The juices from 

 peaches, plums and apples showed the greatest activity. Besides 

 these, a great number of natural products were tested and found 

 active, at least as regards the growth of this fungus. However, not 

 all of these extracts were equally active on the sporulation. For 

 this purpose, extracts had to be prepared from parts of plants which 

 displayed a very active metabolism. The following could be classed 

 as such: pollen, sporophores of the fungi and the sclerotinia itself, 

 terminal butts of the Phaseolus and sporulated mycellium of Asper- 

 gillus. This observation indicates, perhaps, the importance of the 

 two types of vitamine, although Willaman is inclined to assume, in 

 the meantime, the existence of a single vitamine, varying in its effect 

 according to its source of origin. Nevertheless, one must concede 



