144 AN ASCOBACTERIUM FROM THE SUGAH-CANE, 



Nculral cane-gelatine stab. — The needle track shows a filiform 

 i^rowth, with a hemispherical yellowish nail-head. Neither in 

 this nor in a glucose-gelatine shake were gas bubbles produced. 



Nutrient gelatine stab. — The growth is filiform, with a thin, 

 flat, white, glistening and spreading nail-head. The nail-head is 

 depressed, but there is no sign of liquefaction within a week with 

 the normal races. After the seventh day the gelatine beneath 

 the nail head either appears consumed or shows a slight crateri- 

 form liquefaction. 



Potato. — The growth is thin, dry, deep yellow, flat and glisten- 

 ing. 



Carrot and turnip. — A slimy, translucent, whitish growth 

 rapidly spreads over the surface. 



Sugar-cane. —A yellow, glistening, gummy growth spreads over 

 the surface, and growing down the vessels exudes at the lower 

 ends as raised globules similar in appearance to the exuded gum 

 of gummy cane. 



Siveet ivort. — The growth is luxuriant. 



Bouillon. — The medium becomes turbid, and forms a film and 

 sediment. A faint indol reaction is sometimes obtained. 



Nitrate bouillon. —Nitrate is reduced to nitrite. 



Milk. — The medium is coagulated about the tenth da}' at 

 28^ C, and the reaction is faintly acid. 



The ascobacteria which have been described are few in number. 

 Bact. luteum (List.), Adametz,* is non-motile, and produces asci 

 in the absence of sugar. The colour of the gelatine cultures is 

 decidedly yellow, and it does not appear to liquefy gelatine. 

 Bac citreus, Xlnna,"^ gro\\'s ver}^ slowl}'- in gelatine, and produces 

 asci in sugar-free media. Ascobacillus aqitatilis, Moreno,! is 

 stained b}- Gram's method, and grows quickly at 37°. Like the 

 others the asci are formed in sugar-free media. Since this 

 organism forms asci only in the presence of sugar, and otherwise 

 differs from the bacteria hitherto described, I have named it 

 Bacte^num sacchari. 



* Migula, System der Bakt. 1900. 

 t Moreno, Cent. f. Bakt. 1 Abt. 80, 111. 



