OBSERVATIONS OF DIPHTHEROID BACILLUS 101 



the most part oval in shape, and in a resting state exhibit but one 

 large granule centrally located. From the various appearances pre- 

 sented by a series of cells from such a culture, it would appear that, 

 preceding cell division, the granule first elongates in a direction at 

 right angles to the axis of the cell, then splits in two along its own 

 axis, after which the cell divides on a plane between the two gran- 

 ules, and each of the new cells is thus provided with one granule, at 

 first situated at one pole, but later moving to the middle of the 

 cell and again becoming rounded. This apparent participation of the 

 metrachromatic granules in the process of cell division has been 

 noted by Ernst and by Williams, who have suggested that the gran- 

 ules must therefore be of the nature of nuclei. The fact, however, 

 that the division of the granules preceding cell division occurs only 

 at times or in certain media, and only in those cells where the gran- 

 ules happen to be located at the point of division, would argue against 

 their performing any essential function in the process; and it is not 

 necessary to assume that they possess either the structure or the 

 function of nuclei to explain the phenomenon, for it is clear that 

 if they happen to lie in the plane of fission they will be acted upon 

 by the forces which cause the cell to divide and must themselves be 

 divided. 



The most striking of the cultural characters was the pigment 

 formation, which remained quite constant throughout the period 

 (several years) that the organism was under observation. It was 

 always a tint of grenadine red, usually grenadine pink (7d, Ridgway's 

 Color Standards and Nomenclature). The pigment is extracted 

 from the wet cells by ethyl and methyl alcohols, by acetone, and 

 by 20 per cent sodium hydroxide, but not by ether, petroleum 

 ether, toluene, xylene, or 10 per cent hydrochloric acid. From the 

 sodium hydroxide solution it can be shaken out with chloroform, 

 and acetone, only slightly with petroleum ether, and not at all 

 with ether, toluene, or xylene. From the methyl alcohol solution 

 somewhat diluted with water, it can be shaken out with petroleum 

 ether, more readily with carbon disulfide. The growth on agar 

 turns a bluish green when treated with sulphuric acid. The pigment 

 is a lipo chrome very similar to carotin. 



On solid media the growth is smooth and glistening, somewhat 



