CHEMICAL STUDIES OF THE CONTENT OF MICROBIAL CELLS 193 



regarded on the whole as eminently satisfactory. Illustrating, no 

 comment is needed to place nitrogen in its many connections and 

 phosphorus seems to be very intimately bound up with the complex 

 molecule of protein, yet when potassium and iron are considered it may 

 be far more difficult to formulate definite conceptions of relationships. 

 It is safe to say, however, that ash constituents are required in life- 

 processes even if a more detailed analysis is barred or blurred for the 

 time being. 



The extent to which ash elements are found is well set forth by 

 Kruse*in a comprehensive review in which he considers molds, yeasts 

 and bacteria. In the analyses presented, phosphoric acid appears to 

 exist in greater proportion than all other elements. Potassium and 



*Kruse's review is here offered in abbreviated form (Allgemeine Mikrobiologie, pp. 86-87). 

 Zopf (Pilze, 1 1 8). Higher Molds. 



Phosphoric acid 40 . o per cent. 



Potassium 45 . o per cent. 



Sodium 1.4 per cent. 



Magnesium 2.0 per cent. 



Calcium 1.5 per cent. 



Silicic acid i . o per cent. 



Iron oxide i . o per cent. 



Sulphuric acid 8.0 per cent. 



Chlorine i . o per cent. 



Mayer, Ad. Garungschemie, Aufl., 5, 118, 1902. Yeast. 



Phosphoric acid 51.0 -59 . o per cent. 



Potassium 28.0 -40 . o per cent. 



Sodium ! 0.5 - 1.9 per cent. 



Magnesium 4.0 - 8.1 per cent. 



Silicic acid o.o 1.6 per cent. 



Calcium i.o - 4.5 per cent. 



Iron oxide o.i -- 7.3 per cent. 



Sulphuric acid 0.6 - 6.0 per cent. 



Chlorine o . 03- i . o per cent. 



Kappes, (S. Anm. zu Taf. I, 5, 52), Cramer (Arch. f. Hyg., 28), De Schweinitz and Dorset 

 (Cent. f. Bakt., 23, 993)- 



B. xerosis B. prodigiosus, B. tuberculosis, Cholera spirillum, 



per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. 



: i 



Phosphoric acid 34.0 36.0 55.2 10.0-45.0 



Potassium n.o n.o 6.4 4.0-6.0 



Sodium 24.0 28.0 13.6 27.0-34.0 



Magnesium 6.0 7.0 i r . 6 0.1-0.6 



Calcium 3.0 4.0 12.6 0.3-1.3 



Silicic acid 0.5 0.5 0.6 



Sulphuric acid .... o.o 1.0-8.0 



Chlorine 0.6 5.0 o.o 5. 044 . o 



13 



