444 A VARIABLE GALACTAN BACTERIUM, 



slime nor the first alcoholic mother-liquor contained reducing 

 sugars. The slime, which must have been practically free from 

 oflvcerine, was treated with water and heated in the autoclave at 

 a pressure of three atmospheres for fifteen minutes. This treat- 

 ment produced a viscous solution and a small quantity of white 

 curd. The viscous solution was filtered, then clarified with 

 aluminium hydrate and divided into two parts. One of these 

 portions was precipitated with alcohol aided by potassium 

 chloride, filtered, pressed, and boiled with 5% sulphuric acid for 

 six hours. The other portion was evaporated down until a gela- 

 tinous mucilage was obtained. 



Upon testing drops of the mucilage with drops of reagents 

 upon a glass plate, white curdy masses were obtained with 

 neutral, basic, and ammoniacal lead acetates, barium hydrate pro- 

 duced a translucent white clot, copper sulphate and ferric chloride 

 gave precipitates, milk of lime coagulated and sodium silicate 

 thickened the gum, while Fehling's solution produced a purple 

 jelly. No reactions were obtained with potassium hydrate, 

 Schweitzer's reagent, iodine, or borax paste. 



The mucilage when evaporated upon the water-bath dried as a 

 transparent gummy mass. This when treated with water partly 

 dissolved and partly swelled. The swollen portion Avas easily 

 soluble in dilute sodium hydrate, but difficultly soluble in dilute 

 hj^drochloric acid. 



The gum was not hydrolysed when boiled with 5% sulphuric 

 acid for 10 hours. The solution was thereupon evaporated down 

 upon the water-bath until it blackened. It was then diluted to 

 the original volume and boiled for 4 hours. The sulphuric acid 

 was removed with barium carbonate and the filtered solution was 

 evaporated and treated with phenylhydrazine acetate solution 

 and heated on the water-bath for two hours. The osazone which 

 separated upon cooling was dried and extracted first with ether, 

 then with hot water, and finally it was dissolved in hot dilute 

 alcohol. Upon cooling the hot dilute alcohol, a pure osazone 

 separated out; the appearance and melting point (193°) showed 

 it to be galactosazone. The hot water dissolved a small quantity 



