BACTERIAL AUTOLYSIS 



571 



la, dilute (1 gram in 30 cc. of saline), at SVC. 

 lb, dilute (1 gram in 30 cc. of saline), at ice box temperature 

 Ic, concentrated (3 grams in 30 cc. saline), at 37°C. 

 Id, concentrated (3 grams in 30 cc. saline), at ice box temperature 

 le, 5 grams of the concentrated bacterial material suspended in 100 cc. of 

 distilled water, and incubated at 37°. 



The results are shown in charts 12 and 13. The biuret curves 

 indicate an extensive autolysis of two of the incubated samples, 



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Chart 12. Meningococctjs 



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Chart 13. Meningococcus 



Ic and le, and but little or no change in the others. In the dis- 

 tilled water .sample (le) the reduction in biuret was very shght 

 during the first five daj^s but subsequently progressed rapidly 

 so that at the end of twelve days the biuret-giving substances 

 were reduced to one-third of the original. 



Owing to lack of sufficient material, duplicate amino acid 

 determinations were made of le only (chart 13). All of the 

 amino nitrogen curves have a few points of similarity, and all 

 attain their maximum level within ten to fifteen days. Beyond 

 this the values fail off somewhat^ barring Ic of course, and, as 



