A NEW SPECIES OF ALCOHOL FORMING BACTERIA 237 



naturally expected, but a microscopical examination showed 

 that bacteria rather than yeasts were predominant. Transfers 

 to sterile plates, and the isolation of the predominating bacterial 

 species, resulted in obtaining a culture, which showed a marked 

 abihty to ferment sucrose solutions. The copious amount of 

 gas given off, which was tested for CO2 with positive results, 

 and the odor of alcohol, suggested the capacity of the species 

 to induce an alcoholic fermentation. When transferred to 

 sterile glycerine bouillon, the species also induced a vigorous 

 fermentation, indicating its possible relationship or identity 

 with other species of bacteria described in the literature. Al- 

 though several species of alcohol forming bacteria have been 

 isolated, this property may be regarded as rare. Among the 

 most prominent of these species the following may be mentioned. 

 B. A'temnws was isolated from a cold hay infusion by Fitz (18£0) 

 and later more closely studied, and named by Buchner. This 

 species forms ethyl alcohol from glycerine. Frankland and Fox 

 (1889) isolated from the solid excreta of sheep an alcohol form- 

 ing species of bacteria to which they gave the name B. ethaceiicus. 

 This species forms ethyl alcohol and acetic acid from glycerme. 

 According to the work of Friedlander (1911) B. pneumoniae has 

 the power of forming ethyl alcohol and acetic acid in nutrient 

 solutions containing sucrose. Kruis and Rayman (1895) isolated 

 from sour yeast a lactic acid bacterium that forms ethyl alcohol 

 as a by-product. 



Other species of alcohol forming bacteria are Duclaux's (1895) 

 Amylobader ethylicus isolated from garden soil, B. butylicus 

 isolated by Fitz (1884) and two species isolated from malt 

 decoctions by Henneberg (1909). There seems to be much in 

 common between the characteristics of these species and our 

 Louisiana organism, yet there are sufficient differences clearly 

 to differentiate the latter from the former. 



The characteristics of the sugar cane bacterium are as follows: 



Morphological. Short thick rods with rounded ends, the 



individual cells averaging 2.8 m in length and 1.0 m m breadth. 



The rods occur chiefly in pairs, are frequently single, never in 



chains. The cells stain readily by aqueous and alcoholic solu- 



