ABSTRACTS 121 



Soft-boiling, coddling, and frying on one side only do not necessarily 

 render the yolks free from viable bacteria; therefore, eggs which have 

 gone through such processes may, like raw eggs, be the cause of most 

 serious disturbances at least in persons who are particularly susceptible 

 to such influence, and especially infants. 



Studies in Bacterial Nutrition. The Utilization of Proteid and Non- 



Proteid Nitrogen. Leo F. Rettger, William S. Sturges and 



Nathan Berman, Yale Universty. 



In a recent pubhcation by Sperry and Rettger it was shown that 

 bacteria are unable to utihze protein nitrogen without the preHminary 

 cleavage of the proteins by enzymes, etc., into their relatively simple 

 products. Further investigations clearly demonstrate that not only 

 unheated (unchanged) proteins resist direct bacterial action, but that 

 purified albumin which has been heated to the point of complete coag- 

 ulation and sterilization likewise remains unaffected. 



It also appears quite certain that albumoses and peptones are not 

 attacked by bacteria, or at the most but feebly, without the aid of a 

 proteolytic enzyme, strong acids, alkali, or extreme heat. Organisms 

 like B. coli and B. typhi which do not elaborate proteolytic enzymes 

 are unable, therefore, to make free use of albumose and peptone nitro- 

 gen. This has been shown in culture tests with weak solutions of both 

 the untreated and partially purified Witte's peptone. For the determi- 

 nation of any possible loss of proteose and peptone, or of albumin, as 

 the case may be, the quantitative biuret method as used and recommend- 

 ed by Vernon has been employed with considerable satisfaction. 



What is often regarded as autolysis of B. coli and other gelatin- 

 non-liquefying bacteria is not a process of digestion of the protein 

 constituents of the bacterial cells, since there is no reduction in the 

 amount of protein of the medium plus the suspension, and if the protein 

 partially disappears from the cells it is due to agencies other than en- 

 zymes, as for example small amounts of acid or alkali, and perhaps mere 

 washing. 



A proteose or peptone-digesting enzyme, erepsin, has not been de- 

 monstrated in any of the experiments. 



Yeasts, Probabhj Pathogenic, Recovered from Routine Throat Cultures. 



Arthur L. Grover. 



In the past various observers have noted the presence of yeast-like 

 bodies in smears from the throat but no real attempt has been made 

 to study these. 



The present investigation covers ninety-cultures showing yeast- 

 like bodies. Fifty-six gave yeast cultures, 3 oidia, 2 leptothrix, 20 

 gave molds, and 9 gave no fungus. It is interesting to note that the 

 molds and yeasts have identical morphology in the primary smears. 



These 56 yeasts could be divided into 17 distinct varieties as shown 

 by the following table: 



