MECHANISM OF DEATH 



389 



dies more rapidly when the air is replaced by other gases, 

 while Bad. coli dies more slowly. 



This might be caused by different types of reserve 

 compounds; glycogen could be used as a source of energy 

 in the absence of oxygen, while fat could not. However, 

 it might also be that the cell contents of Bad. coli are 

 more readily oxidized than Bad. tyhposum. The com- 

 plication of suffocation with starvation gives no good 

 data, and more information could probably be obtained 

 with bacteria under normal growing conditions. 



Table 129. 



-Death Rates of Starving Cells of Bad. coli and Bad. 

 typhosum in Various Gases 



Some excellent experiments on death by suffocation 

 of nourished cells are given by Miiller (1912) who grew 

 Ps. fluorescens and Bad. coli in a medium containing 

 only 40 mg. of asparagin and 60 mg. of ammonium 

 lactate per liter, besides minerals. This medium was 



