124 Bacteriologie. 



&' 



that behave to reagents like arabin, are not uncommon. A second is 

 described under the name of Bacillus pseiidarabhms IL 



Autorreferat. 



Smith, R. G., The Probable Bacterial Origin ofthe Gum 

 ofLinseed Mucilage. (Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales 1905). 



Following is a summary of the research: l'l The gums of linseed 

 mucilages vary in their chemical reactions, and, therefore, probably 

 Vary in their chemical Constitution. 2'\ The products of hydrolysis 

 consist of galactose and reducing substances wich yield indefinite osa- 

 zones that are possibly akin to the furfuroids of Gross, Bevan and 

 Smith. Z^. The gum bacteria in the tissues of Linum are relatively 

 very numerous, and consist chiefly of races of two species. 4^\ The 

 chemical reactions of the gums from these are practically identical 

 with the reactions of average linseed gum. 5°. The gum of one of 

 the bacteria is hydrolysed to galactose, and of the other to galactose 

 and a reducing substance that yields an indefinite osazone. Both 

 gums contain a large proportion of the furfuroid substances. 6". The 

 gum formed by bacteria is probably altered by the plant into muci- 

 lage and other substances required in the plant economy. 7". A 

 number of so-called species of gum bacteria have probably one 

 common origin: the host plant can alter the nature of the gum pro- 

 duct which influences the growth characters. Autorreferat. 



Smith, R. G., The Probable Identity of the Opsonins with 

 the Normal Agglutinins. (Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales 1905), 



The author has previously shown that active agglutinating serum 

 which had been heated to destroy the Opsonins was capable of caus- 

 ing an ingestion of bacteria by the mobile leucocytes. In this paper^ 

 certain points of similarity between the Opsonins and normal or 

 natural agglutinins are brought forward. Like the agglutinins , 5/a/)Äy- 

 lococcus Opsonin is not destroyed by a moderate heat, viz. 60° C.; 

 the opsonic power is only temporarily in abeyance. Dead bacteria 

 in contact with the heated serum for over 20 hours at 37° G. becorae 

 fully opsonised. With dilute heated serum the same recovery takes 

 place, and in addition the bacteria are agglutinated. Dilution with 

 saline Solutions increases the agglutinative and the relative opsonic 

 powers. The opsonic and the agglutinative powers of normal serum 

 are increased when potassium salts are used in preparing the suspen- 

 sions and dilutions. Suspensions of a 48 hours' culture of a feeble 

 race of Staphylococcus were agglutinated in weaker dilutions of 

 serum than a 24 hours' culture, and the opsonic power was also 

 greater (21 : 14). The experiments bear out the idea that the first 

 phase of agglutination, viz. the deposition of a precipitate upon the 

 bacterial membranes, is what is known as opsonisation. The second 

 phase, viz. the gathering together of the membranes with the enve- 

 loped bacteria is visible as an agglutination. The precipitated films 

 consist of a substance positively chemutactic tu the leucocytes. 



Autorreferat. 



Smith, R. G., The Role jof Agglutination in Immunity. 

 (Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales 1905). 



The research has shown that 1°. Normal typhoid bacteria are 

 incapable of being absorbed by the leucocytes when these have been 

 freed from adhering serum; 2*^. typhoid bacteria, when treated with 



