THE ACTION OF SALTON SEA WATER ON VEGETABLE TISSUES. 77 



nourish themselves upon pectic compounds, could effect a disassociation of tissues. In 

 this group of organisms he included a group of bacteria known as the Amylobacter group. 



Mangin in this last conclusion was supported by previous workers, van Tieghem 1 and 

 Trecul. 2 Louis Gaucher 3 held that the cell membranes were degenerated through the 

 action of bacteria bringing about what he termed an abnormal pathological condition. 

 Speaking of the relation of gums and pectin, 4 he states that a member of the Leguminosa? 

 family, Acacia vereck, breaks down the walls of cells, disengaging all the vascular parts 

 of the plant. In that case the pectin would be hydrolyzed by enzymes produced within 

 the tissues of the growing plants. In other cases he quotes Mangin, who claimed that 

 gum might be made to appear in the cortical parts of plants by injuring their branches 

 with repeated blows upon the bark. In discussing these phenomena, however, these 

 investigators note that the cell walls are composed of a series of complex carbohydrate 

 compounds including pectic acid, pectose, pectin, and cellulose. They note that these 

 substances may be modified in various ways through abnormal and normal processes. 

 But in every case the modification is brought about either through action of a hydrolyzing 

 agent produced entirely by the cells of the living plant itself, sometimes in a normal and 

 sometimes in an abnormal condition, or else by the presence of invading organisms such 

 as the Amylobacter which had gained access to the tissue whose cell walls had not become 

 wholly lignified but were in the early stages of being laid down. 



Subsequent to the completion of the experimental work with the fresh woods received 

 from the Salton Sea region, it was suggested by Professor Joseph S. Caldwell that the 

 decortication processes were similar to those involved in the retting of flax hemp. This 

 suggestion was supported by an examination of the work of M. S. Winogradsky, 5 who 

 carried on numerous experiments and investigations with waters concerned with the mass 

 erosion of vegetable tissues. In these researches he came to the conclusion that he had to 

 deal with a specific bacterial organism which he isolated in his fermentation experiments. 

 This organism was apparently widespread and, according to Winogradsky, might be 

 looked for in any waters where the successful retting of flax was carried forward. 



In a later work, Professor Dr. J. Behrens investigated the retting of flax and hemp. 6 

 Professor Behrens, by means of extensive laboratory experiments, opposed the view of 

 Hauman, namely, that the retting of flax and other vegetable tissues could be carried on 

 successfully by many different species of bacteria. In a table containing a report upon a 

 series of controlled cultures, he itemizes the organisms which would be able to produce 

 so-called retting of flax and hemp. His general conclusions were that this work should be 

 referred to definite and specific organisms. 



Some of the best work in investigating cellulose fermentation was carried on by W. 

 Omelianski. 7 His investigations were concerned with several phases of cellulose fermenta- 

 tion, such as the hydrogen fermentation of cellulose, the methane fermentation of cellulose, 

 and the fermentation of cellulose through the dentrifying bacteria, aerobic bacteria, and 

 mold fungi. Following his suggestions, it was possible to isolate an organism which grew 

 upon sterile filter paper, which was apparently hydrolyzed by its action. In harmony with 

 Omelianski's findings, this organism, which was isolated from Salton Sea water, required a 

 long time for its incubation upon cellulose. The solution employed was composed of phos- 

 phate of potassium 1 gram, magnesium sulphate 0.5 gram, sulphate of ammonia 1 gram; a 

 very small quantity of sodium chloride in a liter of distilled water used as a solvent. Steril- 



1 van Tieghem, Ph., (1) Comptes rend, de l'Acad., 1879, vol. SS, p. 205. (2) Also vol. lxxxix, pp. 25 and 1102, 1879. 



(3) Bull, de la Soc. Bot. de France, vol. xxiv, p. 128, 1877; vol. xxvi, p. 25, 1879; also vol. xxvni, p. 243, 1881. 



2 Trecul, A., (1) Comptes rend, de l'Acad., vol. lxi, pp. 156 and 430, 1805; also vol. lxv, p. 513, 1S67. 



3 Gaucher, Louis: Etude generate de la membrane cellulaire, 1904. 



4 Gaucher, Louis: Ibid., p. 207, 1904. 



5 Winogradsky, M. S., Sur le rouissage du lin et son agent microbien. Comptes Rendu, vol. cxxi, p. 742, 1895. 



6 Behrens, J., Ueber die Taurottc von Flachs und Hanf. Parasitenkunde und Infektion krankheitcn, vol. x, pp. 



524-530, 1903. 



7 Omelianski, W.: See note 3. 



