316 THE BACTERIOPHAGE AND ITS BEHAVIOR 



ject to the same criticisms that have been directed toward the preceding 

 hypothesis. 



C. Hypothesis of a normal autolysin. This hypothesis together with 

 that assuming the hving nature of the bacteriophage, has shared in 

 attracting the greatest number of supporters.* 



The following have definitely declared themselves as being in favor of 

 the idea of a normal autolysin: Wollstein,''" Gildemeister,^^^ da Costa 

 Cruz,'^" Davison/^i Otto, Munter, and Winkler,^^^ Bachmann and 

 Aquino,^" Pico,^^^ Miessner and Baars,"^'' Weinberg and Aznar,''^^ 

 Kraus and Marais,^^^ Ledingham,^^^ Ellis,!^^ Werthemann,*'^'' Jotten,^^^ 

 Proca,54i Borchardt,73 Putter and Vallen,^^'' Lepper,409 Meuh,^^^ Scheideg- 

 ggj.^668 Eastwood,^^^ V. Angerer,^ Liebermann,'*!^ Fejgin,^^^ Hadley,^^* 

 Arkwright,'^^ Marcuse,^^" Schnabel,^^^ Yasaki,^'^ Petrovanu,^°2 Arnold 

 and Weiss,^^ and lonesco-Mihaiesti.^"" 



What are the arguments which have been advanced by these authors, 

 particularly with reference to the fact that bacterial strains may be 

 found containing the bacteriophage principle? 



A priori the idea of an autolytic process is not, indeed, absurd, for we 

 know, as a matter of fact, that all cells contain within themselves fer- 

 ments capable of dissolving the cellular body. It is well, however, to 

 recall that under normal conditions of existence, it is rare to obtain a 

 total autolysis, as a rule the autolytic process leads simply to a disag- 

 gregation involving but a hmited number of cells. The dissolution is 

 incomplete, and the process ends in the formation of an insoluble amor- 

 phous mass. Such is the case, and others might be mentioned, for 

 autolysis of B. dysenteriae, B. coli, B. pestis, Staphylococcus albus and 

 aureus, etc. Cultures or suspensions of these bacteria held in bouillon 

 for even several months, contain amorphous particles, together with a 

 great number of bacteria, dead but still intact. As a matter of fact, 

 the culture is almost as turbid as it was at the beginning. The phenom- 

 enon of bacteriophagy is very different, for within a few hours all of 

 the bacteria are completely dissolved, without residue of any kind, and 

 the medium becomes as clear as uninoculated bouillon. 



Furthermore, it is significant that a natural spontaneous autolysis is 

 never observed with young bacteria, while bacteriophagy takes place 



* It is interesting to see how those who support one or the other of these two 

 hypotheses are distributed. In general, Anglo-Saxon students favor the autolytic 

 hypothesis, while those using the Latin languages (with the exception of the South 

 Americans) are, with but few exceptions, in favor of the hypothesis of the living 

 nature of the bacteriophage. The Germans are divided, some favoring the first, 

 some the second concept. 



