296 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING 



charomyces from the expectorations of a patient at the Malgrange 



I Iii-pit a I at Nancy. The new yeast consists of rounded elements enclosed 

 in a thick capsule 3*1— 3*5/* in diameter, looking at first sight like 

 an enormous diplococcus full of retractile granules, which stain strongly 



with basic aniline dyes. The yeast grows well on all the principal 

 media used in mycology, the optimum growth on carrot being between 

 25 to 30° C. 



On microscopical examination, the young scum, which appears in 

 pepto-glycerin broth, was found to consist of elongated elements 

 which had almost entirely lost their capsules. The sediment, on the 

 contrary, contained spherical cells with very obvious capsules. The 

 formation of ascospores has been obtained on plaster blocks and on 

 blotting-paper impregnated with a solution of lactose. Each ascus 

 encloses four spherical spores measuring 2 ■ 5-3 • /x in diameter, disposed 

 in tetrads. 



Cultural characters. Thick creamy white growth on carrot. Growth 

 on potato (plain, acid, or glycerinated) or Jerusalem artickoke is slower ; 

 the creamy-white colonies are small but very obvious. The growth on 

 gelatin is scanty and superficial ; liquefaction of the medium takes 

 place on the eighth day. The growth on agar is at first white, but 

 rapidly changes to a chocolate-brown colour ; the same remarks apply 

 to growth on ascitic agar and inspissated horse serum respectively. 

 The new Saccharomyces secretes invertase, produces alcoholic fermenta- 

 tion, coagulates milk, and precipitates casein without peptonization ; it 

 has no action on starch or inulin, and does not turn neutral-red solution. 



Saccharomyces Lemon nieri is very virulent for the rabbit and guinea- 

 pig, producing a voluminous tumour at the seat of inoculation. 



New Pyogenic Bacillus.* — A. Sartory and P. Lasseur make a 

 preliminary statement in regard to a pyogenic organism which they 

 have isolated from three cases of shell-wounds. The bacillus is from 

 5-7 jji long and about • 5 p. broad. It is usually curved and swollen at 

 one end. Involution forms are common in old cultures. It stains well 

 with aniline dyes and also by Gram's method. It grows well on all 

 media, the optimum being from 2<S° to 35° C. It liquefies gelatin. 

 Broth becomes turbid. On agar the growth is moist, yellowish, becom- 

 ing greyish with time. On potato a yellowish white overlay occurs. 

 Milk is coagulated with formation of acid, and the casein is slightly 

 peptonized. In neutral-red broth the medium turns orange-yellow with 

 production of slight fluorescence. Injected into animals the bacillus 

 gave rise to putrid abscesses. 



Behaviour of Marine Bacteria to Salt.f — H. Coupin finds that 

 marine bacteria enjoy considerable tolerance in regard to sodium chloride, 

 since they are able to support the presence of 8 to 16 p.c. of sea-salt, 

 while on the other hand they can do with as little as 0*3 p.c. of the 

 same salt. Moreover, they adapt themselves proportionately better to 

 low salinity than to a high degree of salinity. 



* C.R. Soc. Biol. Paris, lxxviii. (1915) pp. 6S-9. 

 t Cornptes Rendus, els. (1915) pp. 443-5. 



