474 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



British Association the author described a bacteria which he has dis- 

 covered, and its peptonizing action on milk. The bacteria are very 

 small, hardly 1 /< long, capable of rapid motion, produce colorless 

 liquid colonies on peptone gelatin, a wliitish slimy i)rodTict on agar, and 

 a smooth, brown skin on potato. He has given it the name Bacterium 

 lieptofuc'tens. A chemical examination of the products showed that 

 more than half of the casein was changed to albumen and peptone. 

 Some lactic acid and a little acetic and butyric acid was i)roduced. No 

 gas was generated, even after a week. The sulphur of the casein 

 remained in the peptone. 



It is claimed that the bacteria can be practically used in peptonizing 

 and rendering soluble the casein in milk, making it a very easily 

 digestible food. To this end skim milk is inoculated with the bacteria 

 and after an incubation of 8 days at 20° C. the milk is heated to stop 

 the action of the bacteria. This coagulates the casein which has not 

 been chajiged, and the li(piid portion is filtered off. The latter is 

 evaporated somewhat, and is then called "galactone." An advantage 

 is claimed lor it over beef peptone in that it contains gluten peptone, 

 which probably accounts for its better taste, and that no chemicals are 

 used in its preparation. By using the proper yeast it is said that an 

 alcoholic beverage can be made from galactone. 



The Nalim milk test, A, N. Nahm [Milch Ztg.,Z3 [1894), No. 35. pp. 

 555-558, Jigs, 3). — In this method, which is said to be new, 100 cc. of 

 milk is boiled for about 25 minutes with a mixture composed of 4.5 

 parts of i)otassium hydrate. 5(3 of ethyl alcohol, 15.5 of ainyl alcohol, 

 and 24 of 30 per cent ammonia, and the fat separated read oft' on a 

 scale. The construction of the tubes is somewhat peculiar. The bot- 

 tom of the bulb is a rubber cap, which is compressed to raise the fat 

 up into the neck, where it is read ott". When the column is adjusted a 

 cock at thie toi^ of the tube is closed to hold it in place. The scale 

 reads to luindredths and gives tlie percentage of fat directly. The 

 tubfjs are heated in a water bath and shaken every 5 minutes. It is 

 said that 8 tests can be made in an hour and a quarter. 



In. all comparisons with the gravimetric method the largest difference 

 was 0.055 on a sample with 1.5 per cent of fat, and the average difter- 

 ence was 0.012 per cent. In 14 other comparisons the Nahin test dif- 

 fered by 0.005 per cent from the gravimetric and 0.009 per cent, from 

 the Soxhlet-aerometric method. Skim milk with 0.(>5 per cent of fat 

 was satisfactorily tested. The method and a])paratus are patented. 



The Babcock test, F. T. Shutt {Canada Exptl. Farms Rpt. 1893, 

 pp. 149-151). — Four exi)eriments are reported, which were made to 

 determine the amount of potassium bichromate to be used in i)reserv- 

 ing milk samples, and the length of time that composite samples can 

 be preserved with this material without showing a diminution in fat 

 content. The conclusion is that ''the exact amount of potassium 

 bichromate to be added is of no moment. For ordinary work from 3 



