BY R. GREIG SMITH. 681 



result of the investigation was as follows. The qualification — 

 few, many, or very many — indicates in a rough manner the 

 number of colonies obtained from about 1 grm. of sample. 



Source and quality of sugars. Bac, lev anifor mans. 



1. Demerara, ordinary pale absent. 



2. ,, ordinary yellow few present. 



3. Mauritius, ordinary white ... many present. 



4. Per avian, good quality crystal very many present. 



5. Egyptian, good quality raw sugar many present. 



6. ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, many present. 



7. Java, ordinary good very many present. 



S. : , stroops, very low moist raw sugar many present. 



9. German, low beet sugar very many present. 



10. ,, ,, ,, ,, many present. 



11. ., granulated refined sterile. 



12. Russian, refined beet few present. 



13. French ,, „ many present. 



14. Fiji, raw crystals very many present. 



Since the organism is contained in sugars from such distant 

 places, it is safe to say that its distribution is universal. 



Perhaps it would not be out of place to indicate how the sugar 

 technicist should test for the organism. In a litre of tap water 

 there are dissolved 100 grms. saccharose, 1 grm. peptone, 5 grms. 

 potassium chloride, and 2 grms. common sodium phosphate. The 

 solution is filtered, if necessary, and about 100 c.c. are filled into 

 clear glass bottles, which are plugged with cotton wool. The 

 bottles are placed in a steamer (a potato steamer would do) and 

 steamed for twenty minutes on three successive days. They are 

 then kept as near 37° C. as possible for 10-12 hours and af^ain 

 steamed. This is followed by keeping at 37° for two days, and 

 those bottles which remain bright are sterile. All this procedure 

 is necessary, because of the possible presence of Bac. levaniformans 

 in the sugar. Into the sterile solutions about two grms. of the 

 suspected sample are introduced by means of a small spoon or 

 spatula, which has just cooled after having been sterilised by 

 45 



