134 H. J. CORPER AND H. C. SWEANY 



mately equivalent amounts of bacilli in the three tubes. One 

 of these tubes was heated as a control and kept in the incubator, 

 one was placed in the incubator at 37°C., without previous heat- 

 ing and the third was kept at room temperature during the 

 course of the experiment in order to determine the most favor- 

 able condition suitable for the liberation of the nitrogenous 

 substances from the bacilli. ^ 



It was found that tubercle bacilli suspended in physiological 

 salt solution in this way liberate non-coagulable nitrogenous 

 substances at incubator temperature (37°C.), but that this 

 liberation requires a number of days. At room temperature 

 ^i.e., about 15° to 20°C.) this does not occur to any appreciable 

 extent within the same time. 



Series II. Determination of an autolysis of human tubercle hacilli 



In order to determine whether the non-coagulable nitrogen- 

 ous substances liberated at incubator temperature are merely 

 dissolved out from the bacillary bodies of these substances or 

 whether they are formed as a result of enzymatic action as 

 suggested by Kendall, Day and Walker, tubercle bacilli in equal 

 amounts in two tubes were suspended in sterile physiological 

 salt solution and one was incubated at 37°C., as a control, while 

 to the other was added 3 cc. toluene before incubation. The 

 toluene, as has been shown by Wells and Corper (1912), kills 

 the bacilli but leaves the enzymes intact. ^ 



It appeared that there was a definite liberation of non-coagu- 

 lable nitrogen in both tubes, rather more rapid and reaching a 

 maximum earlier under toluene than in sterile physiological salt 

 solution. A suggested explanation of the difference may be 

 found in the fact that the bacilli are killed rapidly by the toluene 

 and therefore more rapidly disintegrate as a result of enzymatic 

 action, an autolysis. 



^ Charts depicting these results and those of Series II have been published in 

 the Jour, of Infectious Diseases, Vol. 19, 1916, p. 315-21. 

 ^ See note under series I. 



