igii] Carl L. Aisberg 103 



to a marked degree, thanks to the presence of the non-nitrogenoiis 

 Compounds. It was thus demonstrated that in the decomposition 

 of protein bodies by microorganisms the amino Compounds and 

 ammonia formed were utihzed for the formation of new bacterial 

 cells, and such was the intensity of their development that most 

 of the ammonia was again changed into complex, insohible sub- 

 stances. Similar studies were made on materials containing vari- 

 ous proportions of nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous Compounds. It 

 was shown that in decay processes in the soil the carbon-nitrogen 

 ratio of the oxidized products was profoundly modified by the 

 carbon-nitrogen ratio of the initial substance, as well as by the 

 Proportion of moisture present. 



Biochemical and Toxicological Studies upon Penicillium 



C. L. ALSBERG AND O. F. BLACK 



(Office of Drug Plant, Poisonous Plant, Physiological and Fer- 

 mentation Investigations, Bureau of Plant Industry, 

 Department of Agriciiltiire.) 



Under certain conditions the green mould Penicillium piihendnm 

 Bainier, produces a new complex organic acid. It is moderately 

 toxic and has been named penicillic acid. 



The Optical Forms of Lactic Acid Produced by Pure Cultures 



of Bacillus bulgaricus 



JAMES N. CURRIE 



{Laboratory of Agricidtural Chemistry, University of Wisconsin^ 



Madison, Wis.) 



Pure cultures of B. bulgaricus w^ere isolated from various 

 sources, i. e., cow's milk, Cheddar cheese, human saliva, human 

 feces, cow feces, horse feces, brewers' malt and kraut. The optical 

 form of the lactic acid produced in sterile milk was studied by means 

 of the water content of the zinc lactate. The majority of these cul- 

 tures produced pure dextro-lactic acid ; some produced a mixture of 



