FERMENTATION BACTERIOLOGY. 331 



FERMENTATION BACTERIOLOGY. 



Diagnosis of bacteria, T. Matzcschita {Bacteriologische Diagnoatlk. Jena: Gus- 

 tav Fischer, 1V02, pp. 693, figs. 17). — In the present volume the author presents a 

 system of classification of bacteria, with special reference to their more conspicuous 

 l)iological characteristics. The number of species considered in the volume is 1,525. 

 Only bacteria are considered, no parasitic fungi belonging to other orders being 

 treated. The bacteria are classified from a biological standpoint into 5 general 

 groups: (1) Those which liquefy meat gelatin; (2) those which do not liquefy meat 

 gelatin; (3) those which do not grow on meat gelatin at a temperature lower than 

 20° C. ; (4) bacteria which have not been accurately described in the literature of 

 the subject; (5) bacteria which have not been cultivated on artificial media. 



The bacteria included under these general heads are further subdivided into aerobic 

 and. facultative aerobic and anaerobic forms. A further subdivision under these 

 classes is based on the presence or absence of locomotor organs, these classes being 

 divided again into groups which form spores and those which do not, and these 

 groups in turn being still further subdivided into forms which stain by the Gram 

 method and those which do not. Under each l)acterial species considered by the 

 author the method of growth, behavior, and appearance on various nutrient media 

 are mentioned for purposes of identification of the species. The bacteria are futher 

 classified in the second section of the volume on the basis of the material or location 

 in which they are found. This classification is followed by a detailed key arranged 

 for the purpose of assisting in the identification of species of bacteria. 



Treatise of bacteriology, pure and applied to medicine and hygiene, P. 

 MiQUEL and R. C'ambiek (Traite de badfriologle, pure et, appliqvfe a la mklecine et a 

 Fhyglene. Paris: C. Naud, 1902, pp. XVI+1060, figs. 224)-— In this volume the 

 authors discuss the various subjects which relate to the morphology, biology, and 

 cultivation of bacterial organisms. Pathogenic fungi and protozoa are excluded 

 from this volume but will be discussed in a subsequent treatise. The work is divided 

 into 4 parts, of which the first contains an account of the morphology and biology of 

 bacteria, their resistance to physical and chemical changes, nutrient media, cultiva- 

 tion of bacteria under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, experimentation on animals, 

 microscopic preparations, methods of staining bacteria in cultures, exudations and 

 animal tissues, and oj^tical apparatus necessary for studying bacteria. The second 

 part contains a detailed discussion of the various pathogenic micrococci, bacilli, and 

 spirilla, as well as an account of diseases due to unknown micro-organisms, and a 

 consideration of the problems of virulence, imnumity, and methods of immunization. 

 In the third part of the volume the authors discuss zymogenic, chromogenic, and 

 saprogenic bacteria. The fourth part is devoted to the application of bacteriology to 

 hygiene and medicine, and contains a discussion of a bacteriological analysis of air, 

 water, and soil, together with a general account of mechanical, physical, and chem- 

 ical methods of disinfection. In connection with the discussion of pathogenic bac- 

 teria an account is presented of the virus and toxins of a number of diseases in which 

 the micro-organism is not known. These diseases include influenza, aphthous fever, 

 smallpox, cancer, pleuro-pneumonia, yellow fever, rabies, and syphilis. 



The composition of the albuminoids and cell membranes of fungi and bac- 

 teria, K. i^. IwAxoFF {Beitr. Clicm. I'liysiol. u. Pathol. Ztsclir. Biochem., 1 {1902), pp. 

 524-537; abs. in Bot. Centbl., 89 {1902), No. 17, p. .^9i).— Studies are reported of 

 Aspergillus niger. Boletus edulis, Claviceps pupurea, Badlbis megatherium, B. anthracis, 

 and Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus, in which the albuminoids Avere found to contain 

 15 to 16 per cent of nitrogen and 0.75 to 2.25 per cent phosphorus. The large phos- 

 phorus content places the albuminoids of these plants among the nucleoproteids. 

 The cell membranes showed a decided reaction of chitin, which agreed closely with 



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