1016 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



of starch manufacture, Volker's method of starch making, the purifica- 

 tion of boneblack in sugar refining, tannin fermentation, the fermenta- 

 tion of opium, the fermentation of beans when prepared somewhat 

 like sauerkraut, the bacterial purification of -city sewage, the micro- 

 organisms present in white-lead manufacture, and the fermentations 

 which take place in the manufacture of various dyes and coloring stuffs. 



Report of the agricultural bacteriological laboratory at St. Petersburg for 

 1897, A. Theoktistov {Rev. in Selsk. Khoz. i Lyesor., 190 (1898), No.8,pp.325-3-',3).— 

 The scientific activity of the laboratory was devoted to the following investigations: 



(1) Scientific investigations on the biology and classification of mice-killing bacteria; 



(2) investigation on the influence of metals on bacterial cultures; (3) investigations 

 on sterilizing nutritive media; (i) work in pathological anatomy; (5) investigation 

 of the conditions of the progressive decrease of the virulence of the bacterial cul- 

 tures; (6) determination of the absolute virulence of various mice-killing microbes; 

 (7) iuvestigation on chicken cholera, and (8) investigation on new nutritive media. — 



P. FIREMAN. 



Some little-used culture media which have proved valuable for the differen- 

 tiation of species, E. F. Smith (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., 47 (lS98),pp. 412, 413). — 

 The author recommends especially the following media for differentiation of various 

 species of organisms: Uschinsky's solution; tubes of standard nutrient agar with 

 addition of 10, 20, and 30 per cent of grape sugar; the same with 10, 20, and 30 per 

 cent of cane sugar; nutrient starch jelly with and without various sugars, alcohols, 

 etc.; cylinders of cocoanut flesh in distilled water; cylinders of white or yellow 

 turnips in distilled water; cylinders of carrot in distilled water; cylinders of white 

 sugar beet in distilled water ; potato cylinders standing in several cubic centimeters 

 of distilled water (for prolonged growth) ; the extension of tests with fermentation 

 tubes so as to include also, in addition to the three sugars in common use — viz, grape, 

 cane, and milk — the following substances: Fructose, galactose, maltose, dextrin, 

 mannite, and glycerin. 



The mineral constituents of the tubercle bacilli, E. A. de Sciiweinitz and 

 M. Dorset {Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc, 20 {1S9S), Xo. 8, pp. 01S-620).— Analysis of the ash, 

 with comments. 



Bacillus luteus sporogenes, R. F. W. Smith and J. L. Baker {Cenibl. Halt. u. 

 Par., 2. Alt., 4 (189S), Xo.21, pp. 788, 789, figs. 2 ; abs. in Jour. Boy. Micros. Soc. [Lon- 

 don], 1S99, Xo. l,p. 72). — This bacillus has been separated from 2 different samples of 

 beet sugar. It is a long, endosporogenous bacillus, growing with great rapidity in 

 all the ordinary artificial nutrient media, with the formation of a yellow pigment. 



On the mode of action of Bacillus subtilis in the phenomena of denitrifica- 

 tion, A. Fichtexiiolz {Compt. Bend. Acad. Sci. Paris, 128 {1S99), No. 7, pp. 442-445).— 

 It was found that in presence of air at a temperature of 38 to 39° Bacillus subtilis 

 developed in an artificial solution which contained nitrogen only in the nitric form. 

 Under these conditions ammoniacal fermentation takes place, the quantity of 

 ammonia formed varying with the different phases of fermentation. When the 

 maximum was reached the evolution began to decline. 



Vinegar bacteria, W. Hexxeberg {Ztschr. Spiritusind., 21 {1898), No. 20, pp. ISO, 

 181; abs. in Jour. Soc. Chem. Ind., 17 {1SDS), No. 7, p. 684). 



The micro-organisms of spoiled wine, F. Bordas, Joulix, and Raczkowski 

 {Compt. Bend. Acad. Sci. Paris, 126 {1898), No. 20, pp. 1443-1446).— -The authors describe 

 a second bacillus which they have isolated from spoiled wine. It is associated with 

 Bacillus roseus run'. It is filamentous in form and exercises a marked action on tar- 

 taric acid. The authors have made cultures of the organism and compare its action 

 on various culture media with the action of B. roseus vini. 



Concerning the ferments of wine diseases, J. Laborde {Compt. Bend. Acad. Sci. 

 Paris, 126 {1898), No. 17, pp. 1223-1226). — A preliminary report is given of a study by 

 the author of the organisms found in moldy or bitter wiue aside from the yeasts and 

 species of Mycoderma found in new wines. 



