ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 489 



sequent inoculation of a carp showed that by the passage of the organism 

 through the frog its virulence had been increased. A guinea-pig sur- 

 vived the inoculation from the initial pulp for three months. The 

 bacillus appeared to be pathogenic for cold-blooded animals, but in- 

 nocuous to the warm-blooded. The author considers that the original 

 infection was by the ingestion of human tuberculous expectoration in 

 the aquarium water. 



" Barszcz."* — M. K. Panek describes the bacteriological and chemical 

 aspects of " Barszcz," a fermentation product of beetroot, largely used as 

 a food, especially in invalid diet, in certain parts of Poland. The beet- 

 root is cleaned, peeled and cut in slices, and placed in an earthen vessel, 

 and covered two or three fingers deep with soft water ; after standing 

 in a warm place for several days fermentation sets in, and after a week 

 the process is complete, and the Barszcz is filtered through linen and 

 placed in the cellar ; it is a viscid thread-like fluid of a raspberry-red 

 colour, aromatic smell, and pleasant, sweet, acid taste. The author finds 

 that this fluid is the result of a slime fermentation caused by a specific 

 micro-organism, B. betm viscosum, present in the macerating liquid of 

 the beetroot at 18°-20° C. ; at a higher temperature than 25° C, the 

 beet juice undergoes lactic fermentation, which makes it sour. B. beta, 

 viscosum is a non-motile short rod ' 5 //. broad by • H /a - 1 • /* long, 

 with rounded ends, and is often arranged in pairs and chains, and on 

 sugar-free media has a coccal appearance ; it stains well by aniline dyes, 

 and by Gram. On sugar-free broth there is but slight growth, the fluid 

 remains clear, and after several days only a very small deposit is formed ; 

 in 2 p.c. dextrose broth there is cloudiness and abundant deposit ; in 

 saccharose broth at 17°-20° C, the medium is clouded and converted 

 into a slimy mass from the production of dextran. On gelatin plates it 

 grows minute colonies - 3 mm.-0'5 mm. in diameter, which are readily 

 removed from the surface, have a golden-yellow colour by transmitted 

 light, show a finely granular structure, and round, regular, transparent 

 margins ; the gelatin is not liquefied. On cane-sugar gelatin plates after 

 48 hours, transparent drop-like surface colonies are formed, which later 

 become irregular in shape from the production of slime, they unite with 

 each other, become cloudy, and appear as a slimy, stringy fluid. On 

 ordinary agar, small dewdrop colonies are formed, that later run together 

 but do not produce slime. On 10-20 p.c. cane-sugar agar slime is 

 formed, and later there is softening and liquefaction of the agar. Milk 

 is coagulated after the sixth day. On potato there is a barely perceptible 

 growth and no slime production ; but on beetroot after two days, there 

 appears a shining carmine-red slimy film that spreads over the surface. 

 The optimum temperature is between 17° and 20° C. ; at 30° C. there is 

 good growth, but only slight production of slime ; at 37° C. the growth 

 is slight, and there is no formation of slime ; it is killed after five 

 minutes at 64° C. It is a potential anaerobe. 



Bacterial Infection of Cabbages.t — G. Delacroix describes a 

 disease occurring in several varieties of cabbage, especially in the cauli- 



* Anzeig. Akad. "Wiss., i. (Krakau, 1905) p. 5. 

 t Comptes Rendus, cxl. (190:>) p. 1356. 



