140 CONN, ATKINS, KLIGLER, NORTON AND HARMON 



facilities for the work, but did not wish to accept money from 

 a commercial source. The Experiment Station, therefore, took 

 it up with the National Research Council. Upon receiving the 

 endorsement of the Research Council of our Society, the National 

 Research Council agreed to act as an intermediary and to become 

 responsible for the supervision of the investigation. In this 

 way a responsible, scientific, and disinterested supervision of the 

 work has been secured. 



Although this work is no longer in the hands of the committee 

 on bacteriological technic, and when completed will be published 

 as an independent piece of investigation, it is given its place 

 in this report because the problem was originally submitted to 

 the committee and the investigation was planned as a part of 

 the general committee program. It is regarded as merely a 

 beginning. Other similar problems are to be investigated in 

 the future. One that has already been referred to the committee 

 is the counting of bacteria in vaccines and other similar prepara- 

 tions. Anyone interested in this matter is hereby urged to 

 correspond with the chairman of this committee on the subject. 



STANDARDIZATION OF STAINS 



As this committee is primarily interested in the accuracy of 

 technic, one of the first points that has been called to its attention 

 is the inaccuracy of certain procedures (e.g.. Gram stain) due 

 to the present unreliability of dyes used in staining. It was 

 suggested that the committee might undertake to test the various 

 stains on the market and to certify the reliable products, also 

 that it might do what it could to stimulate the production in 

 America of dyes needed but not at present manufactured in 

 this country. A circular letter was addressed to the members 

 of the Society and there was found to be much interest, a con- 

 siderable number of members volunteering to help in the work. 

 The matter has also been discussed with certain producers and 

 distributors of biological stains. 



There is plainly a demand for work of this sort, and the com- 

 mittee is willing to undertake it if it can be properly organized. 



