l-tO AN ASCOBACTERIUM FROM THE SUGAK-CANE, 



Aluminium hydrate . coagulation 



Acetic acid, dil. ... ... ... no precipitate 



,, ,, glacial... ... ... precipitate 



Acid mercuric nitrate ... ... ppt. soluble in excess; ppt, reddens on 



heating 

 Xanthoproteic reaction ... ... positive 



Sulphuric & phosphotungstic acids precipitate 

 Acetic and tannic acids .. ... opalescence 



Acetic acid and pot. ferrocyanide... strong opalescence 

 Hydrochloric acid and pot. mercuric 



iodide opalescence 



Sodium hydrate & copper sulphate purplish colour with slight precipitate 

 Strong mineral acids ... .. reddish-brown colour on heating 



No reaction with KI3, AgNOs, KOH, NaOH, BaCl*. picric acid. 



These reactions indicate that the gummy matter which forms 

 the substance of the asci has relations with the carbohydrates as 

 well as the proteids, and at first sight might be taken as being a 

 mucin body. The slimy capsule of some bacteria has been said 

 to consist of a substance *' related to mucin, or probably identical 

 therewith."* 



Lepierref claims to have obtained a true mucin from cultures 

 of a fluorescent bacterium. Charrin and Desgrez; obtained a 

 mucinous body from bouillon cultures of Bact. pyocyaneum. This 

 body swelled up with water, and was filterable. It was precipi- 

 tated by alcohol, acetic acid, the mineral acids, common salt and 

 magnesium sulphate. The acetic acid precipitate was insoluble 

 in excess, but was dissolved by dilute alkalies. According to the 

 authors, these properties showed it to be a compound mucinoid, 

 but as it contained phosphoric acid it was probably accompanied 

 by a nucleoproteid. A nitrogen determination was apparently 

 not made. 



Although the gummy substance of the asci forms a viscous 

 solution, and behaves like mucin in some of its reactions, still 

 <lifferences can be found. The mucins are soluble in lime and 



* Lafar. Technical Mycology, 189S, 40. 



t Lepierre, Comptes Kendus, 1898 (126), 761. 



+ Charrin and Desgrez, ibid, 596. 



