328 



Mary Davies Swartz 



the carbohydrate residues hydrolyzed and examined in the polari- 

 scope, as in similar trials with aerobes. The results are shown in 

 the following table: 



NAME OF SUBSTANCE. 



reduction of 



fehling's [ 



SOLUTION. I Experiment. 



ROTATION AFTER HYDROLYSIS. 



Control. 



Dulse 



Irish Moss 



Salep 



Sinistrin. . 



Lost by 

 + 0.24° 

 + 0.13° 

 -0.27° 



accident 

 + 0.20° 

 + 0.20° 

 -0.97° 



Mi.xtures of soil and faecal bacteria were also tried, the experiments 

 being carried out just as described for mixtures of the bacilli of symp- 

 tomatic anthrax and malignant oedema. The results are shown in 

 the following table: 



NAME OF SUBSTAUCE 



DISCUSSION AND SUMJVIARY. 



It seems reasonable to expect, that if the hemicelluloses used in 

 these trials were readily attacked by micro-organisms, there would have 

 been some evidence of change in three days, if conditions for growth 

 were favorable as regards reaction and temperature; but although the 

 concentration of the solutions was moderate, the reaction varied, 

 and temperature 37.5° C, results were negative, even in the cases 

 where nutrients were added to facilitate bacterial growth. Apparently 

 all of the material was recovered in unaltered condition, save in 

 certain instances where salep underwent an insoluble modification. 



In trials where the cultures were allowed to grow from one to three 

 weeks, no difference in the results could be detected, by the methods 

 employed. In solid media there was no liquefaction and practically 

 no gas formation, except in the case of the peptone-beef extract 

 preparation of limu manauea, on exposure to the air. 



