AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY — AGEOTECHNT. 803 



values, the greatest divergence being only 0.48 in the case of a coefficient of 

 over 12." 



[The bacteriological standardization of disinfectants], J. H. Weight 

 (North Dakota 8ta. Spec. Bui., 2 (1913), Nos. 17, pp. 289-292; 18, pp. SO^SIO; 

 19, pp. 3S1-S37). — In the first article the results are reported of examining, by 

 the Anderson and McCIintic method of standardization, 43 commercial disin- 

 fectants, the names and chemical nature of which are given. The BacUltis 

 typhosus was the culture used throughout the tests. 



The second article reports a comparative study made of the Rideal-Walker 

 method, the Anderson and McCIintic Hygienic Laboratory method, and the 

 latter method as simplified by introducing the Rideal-Walker method of cal- 

 culating the coefficient, as it was found that the coefficient was less liable to 

 variation when calculated from the dilutions which cause sterility in 7^ min- 

 utes. This modification produces a method which is very similar to that of 

 Rideal, noted above. The disinfectants used were chlorin, liquor cresolis comp. 

 U. S. P., thymol, and disinfectant B. 



"An examination of the results shows that, using the Rideal-Walker method, 

 the phenol coefficient of 4 different disinfectants, as shown by 10 duplicate 

 tests, varied from 10.8 to 22.5 per cent. With the Hygienic Laboratory method 

 the variation was fi'om 6.5 to 11.9 per cent, while vdth the modified method the 

 coefficient varied from 3.4 to 6 per cent. In the light of these facts it seems 

 that the experimental error is less in the Hygienic Laboratory method than in the 

 Rideal-Walker test. With the modification described, however, much more 

 constant results are obtained than with either of the old methods." 



The third article gives the results of a series of experiments from which 

 may be drawn the facts applicable to any method for testing the power of 

 disinfectants which uses the Bacillus typhosus as a test organism. The experi- 

 ments were carried out for the purpose of ascertaining the probable manipula- 

 tions of the test organisms in order to obtain a culture of uniform resistance 

 to the action of the disinfectants. 



A slight variation in temperature may so affect the vitality of the test culture 

 that the values found are not comparable to coefficients previously obtained, 

 and the variations must not be more than 0.2° C. Wider variations in results 

 may also be found when proper attention is not paid to the length of time 

 that the test cultures are grown upon standard extract broth, and furthermore 

 if different strains of B. typhosus are used. 



The author believes B. coli to be preferable to B. typhosus as the test organ- 

 ism, providing a strain which has a uniform relative resistance to the action of 

 disinfectants is used. If this organism was employed there would be no 

 chance of accidental infection of the worker, and possible errors due to con- 

 tamination could be checked up by subculturing in a lactose-peptone-bile me- 

 dium. Some preliminary comparative tests between the B. typhosus and B. 

 coli were made for the purpose of studying this point 



On the carbohydrates of the shoots of Sasa paniculata, K. Miyake and 

 T. Tadokoro (Jour. Col. Agr. Tohoku Imp. Univ., 4 (1911), No. 6, pp. 251-259). — 

 " The principal constituents of the shoots are carbohydrates which form about 

 50 per cent of the dry matter. The chief carbohydrates of the shoots are 

 pentosan, cellulose, and sugar. Galactan, methyl pentosan, and starch are not 

 present. Pentosan of the shoots is made up of both xylan and araban, the 

 former, however, predominating in amount over the latter. Glucose and sucrose 

 seem to compose the principal sugar in the shoots; the former is present in 

 much larger quantity than the latter." 



The preparation of levulose by biochemical methods, A. Ferneach and 

 M. ScnoEN (Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris], 155 (1912), No. 1, pp. 84-86).— 



