344 SUMMARY OF CURUENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



of egg. The frame is then pressed wiih the painted snrface against the 

 hot glass, and allowed to remain under slight and even pressure for a 

 quarter of an hour or longer on the hot plate. At the end of that time 

 the albumin is quite coagulated and dry, and the frame is so firmly 

 adherent that sterilization bv steam can be carried out several times 

 without causing any separation. 



New Apparatus for Bacterial Fermentation Tests : Fermentation 

 Bulbs.* — S. Delepine makes the following communication : — Soon after 

 the beginning of the war the price of various sugars and other products 

 used in fermentation tests was so high, and it was so difficult to get 

 sufficient stocks of them, that it became at times impossible to carry 

 out all the tests required for the identification of bacilli isolated from 

 the very large number of cases which had to be examined bacterio- 

 logically in Manchester for the 2nd Western Military Hospital. 



To meet this difficulty I adapted a method which I devised about 

 sixteen years ago, and have used from time to time for the purpose of 

 studying, collecting, and measuring the gases generated by definite 

 quantities of fermentable fluids. In order, however, to meet the 

 difficulty mentioned above, I reduced the size of my apparatus to a 

 minimum. 



This small fermentation apparatus consists of a tube 4-5 c.cm. in 

 length, with a 2 or 3 mm. internal bore. The closed end of the tube i& 

 in the form of a small bulb, measuring 7 or 8 mm. in diameter, and of a 

 capacity not exceeding 0'5cm. The tube looks very much like the 

 bulb end of a thermometer. These little tubes are inserted mouth 

 downwards into other glass tubes of suitable diameter, which are them- 

 selves kept vertical by being inserted into the holes of a w^ooden rack. 

 The bulb of the fermentation tube closes the upper end of the supporting 

 tube. The two tubes can be sterilized together by steam. After 

 sterilization thev must be thoroughlv dried in the hot-air oven. 



To introduce the fermentable medium into the bulbs, special burettes 

 are used provided with a capillary delivery tube which can be pushed 

 down to the bottom of the fermentation bulbs. 



Each burette contains enough fluid to fill about 100 fermentation 

 bulbs. After the burettes have been filled with the fermentable fluid, 

 they are sterilized with their contents, the delivery pipe being protected 

 by a glass sheath. "When the fermentable tubes have to be filled they 

 are held vertical, mouth upwards ; the delivery tube (after flaming it, 

 if it has been exposed to contamination) is inserted to the bottom of 

 the fermentation bulb, and enough fluid is allowed to flow to fill the 

 bulb, and about 8-10 mm. of the stem. The tube is then inverted and 

 placed again mouth downwards in the supporting tube. 



A set of tubes with the various fermentable media can easily be 

 arranged in the rack provided for the purpose. A great number of 

 such sets can quickly be prepared. 



It is best to place these racks with the fermentation tubes ready for 

 use in the incubator at 37° C. for twelve hours previous to using them. 

 At the end of that time any gas which may be in solution in the fluid 



* Brit. Med. Jouni., April 29,1916. 



