FERMENTATION BACTERFOLOGY. 1 15 



sewairo ]ilant dosii^mHl for tlio (lisjMisal ..f llu- scwajri' of alxyiit (UH) ])cu|.l,.. Tin- ])lant 

 (■(.iisistcil of tilt' ordinary lypi' of lillcr l.cds, llic liltralioii amoiintiii<r to alxuit 1(10 gal. 

 jK'rday pfr acrt'. A ))actfrioloi,ric;il ;iiialysis of t lie fill rato showed tlic {)resenre of 

 an avrrajrt-' of '>, 1l>7 ])ac"t(_'ria jK-r cc, and at no tinu" di<l it rist' ahove 11,075. .\n 

 examination of tlie water in the tank sliowi-d, in Sei)t(Mnli(i-, 0,000,000 jicr cr., fallinjr 

 in cold weather to a]>ont 100,000. This showc<l the fliicicncy of the liltrr hcd for 

 rciiiovinji bacteria. 



The action of light upon bacteria, \. P.oiKNAi^Kr ( 7V/(.s/.s-, 'Dnilnii.s,', ntOO). 

 - The use of paraffin to exclude oxygen in growing anaerobic bacteria, 

 \V. II. I'ARK (.1/w. /*( ,Sr/V//c,', n. .m-r., Li {Jf'OI), Xo. ,IJ^, p. ,Uy).— The author .shows 

 thatcovcring the nutrient solution in tubes or flasks with paraflin, whose melting 

 point was 42° C, proved very useful in the dcvcloi.mcnt of cultures of anaerobic 

 bacteria. The inoculations can be nuuk^ through the paraliiTi hefoic it is fullv 

 cooled, or throng] 1 the paraflin film by heating in a gas flame. 'I'he accmnulation 

 of gas forces the paraflhi to rise in the tnl)e or the flask, Imt does not permit the 

 entr'ance of oxygen. 



The utility of a supply of live steam in the laboratory, II. .V. II.mjdino (Ahi<, 

 ill Science, n. xer., Jo {1!)()1), No. S'.22, }>. 3,U). — On account of some of the disad- 

 vantages attending the use of gas in the bacteriological laboratory, the autlior has 

 devised means by which a steam pipe is introduced into an Arnold sterilizer. l!y 

 this means the sterilizer can ))e brought to a tem^^erature of 09° C. within 5 minutes, 

 ami by the use of a reducing valve the temperature can be controlled at any desired . 

 degiee. 



Catalase, a new enzym of general occurrence, O. Loew ( l\ S. Dcpt. Agr. Bpt. 

 as, pp. 47). — In the examination of many samples of tobacco tlie author found that 

 one sample from the crop of 189.S contained a very energetic enzym capable of devel- 

 o])ing oxygen by the addition of hydrogen peroxid. Tests showed that neither 

 diastasi', jn-oteolytic enzym, enudsin, oxidase, or peroxidase were jiresent in the 

 sample. From further study the conclusion w-as reached that another enzym was 

 pi-esent, w liich the author calls catalase. A resume of previous work on tlie decom- 

 l)osing ij(jwer of certain enzynis upon hydrogen peroxid, and the investigations of 

 the author upon the enzym catalase, are given at some length. The new enzym was 

 found to exist in both an insoluble and a soluble form, distinguished as (t- and fJ- 

 catala.se. Quite a number of tests are reported, showing the presence of catalase in a 

 number of plant and animal organs, and tallies are given showing the amount of 

 oxygen given off l)y treating the various substances with hydrogen peroxid. The 

 method of preparing the enzym and the effect upon it of various salts, acids, bases, 

 and other compounds, are shown. The persistence of the enzym is found to be greater 

 than that of any other contained in vegetalile organs, so far as tested. Some herba- 

 rium specimens showed its presence after a lapse of over 50 years. 



From a number of tests the author concludes that catalase belongs to the oxidizing 

 grr)U]i of enzyms. Owing to its very general occurrence, its presence is not believed 

 to lie accidental, but that it plays some role in the physiological jirocesses; and the 

 energy with which it attacks liydrogen jieroxid, suggests the view tentatively that 

 its role in the animal and vegetable organism may lie the breaking down of this 

 ))roduct, whicli has been claimed by some authors to be a jiroduct of organic gi'owth. 

 The various views upon the formation of hydrogen peroxid in living cells are 

 reviewed, and the author's suggestions of the jirobalile relation of catalase to the life 

 jirocesses of the cells submitted. 



Oxidizing ferments in phanerogams, X. 1'asserini {Naur. Gior. Bot. ItaL, 6 

 {]S9!t), ])]). ^9r,-S21; ahs. in Join-. Hoy. Microti. ,Soc. [Jjondoii'], 1900, No. S, p. S42). — 

 In examining with the guiacum test a])out 100 species of flowering jilants belonging 

 to 40 different families the author found evidence in all but about 20 of at least a trace 

 of oxidase in some organ of the ])laiit. Tlie jiart in whicli it was most constiintly 



