EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 177 



KEPOI^T OF TUE SECTION' OF BACTERIOLOGY. 



To the Director: 



Sir : — ^The experimental work for which we are responsible has been 

 carried on dnring the past year without serious interference and with 

 gratifying results. AVe regret the necessity to report that Research Assist- 

 ant R. L. Tweed severed his connection with the Station May 1, 1923. 

 Carrying considerable responsibility and working in diverse fields, he 

 was an efficient, loyal and congenial associate. He accepted a position 

 with the Gorgas Hospital, Tanipico, Mexico. His- various projects will 

 be distributed amongst the men of the Section best fitted to undertake 

 the added responsibilities. Research Associate Fabin will assume charge 

 of the vinegar work and flax retting investigations; Research Associate 

 Cooledge will look after tlie work on foods; Research Associate Ruehle 

 will take* over the work on intestinal bacteriology including the acido- 

 j)hilus cultnres; and Researcli Associate Huddleson will add to his duties 

 that covered by Adams project 1 a, '"The effect of diseases in the cow on 

 the milk," in so far as the project deals with abortion of cattle. Mr. 

 Cooledge will study other phases of this problem. 



Report of Research Assistant R. L. Tweed. 



I'nder the project, ''The effect of diseases of the cow upon the milk" 

 (Adams 1 a) a paper has been submitted reporting the study of the 

 significance of liigh cellular count of milk from Bart, ahortus infected 

 udders as compared with tliat of non-infceted udders. This is recom- 

 mended as a Technical Bulletin. 



Work niton the four remaining phases as reported last j^ear has been 

 continued. 



(iraduate Assistant D. E. Hasley lias taken up an additional phase of 

 the project in "A comparative study of the various methods for isolating 

 Bact. ahortus'' under the direction of Mr. Huddleson. 



Vinegar. 



From July 1. 1922, to May 1, 1923, 218 requests for vinegar cultures 

 were received, 266 yeast cultures were sent out, and 243 cultures of 

 acetic bacteria, not including ten gallons of culture sent to a Michigan 

 vinegar company for starting generators, and 53 lots of chemicals for 

 making honey vinegar. 



Requests for cultures were received fnnn British Columbia, Ontario, 

 Montana, Idaho, Washington, Arizona, Illinois, Missouri, Penusj'lvania, 

 Texas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Iowa, California, Massachusetts, Ohio, 

 Indiana, Kansas and Wisconsin. 



There was an increase qf 129 requests for cultures this year as com- 

 pared with last year. 



Forty-nine samples of vinegar have beeu analyzed and advice given 

 witU respect to analyses. 



