INVERTEBRATA, CRYPTOGAMlA, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 



491 



threads about 0*01-0 "02 /x in diameter, and having a length of 5 to 

 15 or 20 fx. The number of coils varies from 1 to 8 or 10. They 

 have a uniform vermiform motion. The complete history of this 

 organism is at present unknown, but the author regards it as probably 

 a stage in the development of true Bacteria. 



Chemical Composition of Bacteria in Putrefying Liquids.*— 

 Professors Nencki and F. Schaffer have found that on adding a few 

 drops of acid ("sulphuric, hydrochloric, or acetic) to a liquid containing 

 Bacteria, and boiling it for a few minutes, the Bacteria shrivel up and 

 settle ; the liquid may then be filtered and the Bacteria separated in a 

 " chemically pure " condition. Of course the fluid must contain no 

 substances precipitable by boiling, such as albumen. Ordinary gelatin 

 was therefore chosen as a suitable medium for propagating the growth 

 of Bacteria. 



The dried mass of Bacteria was first exhausted with alcohol, and 

 the alcoholic extract then heated with ether. A slight brownish 

 residue of a substance resembling peptone was left. The ethereal 

 extract contained the fat, the elementary composition of which — 

 72*54 per cent. C, and 11*73 per cent. H — corresponds fairly with 

 that of vegetable and animal fats, but contains 1 * 5 per cent, too little 

 carbon. 



In order to ascertain whether any change in the composition of 

 Bacteria occurs in the course of their development, analyses were made 

 of undeveloped granules, of a mixture of granules and rodlike bodies, 

 and of the rodlike bodies after full growth. The results are as 

 follows : — 



Water 



Fat Ccontained iii dry substance) .. 

 Ash (in substance deprived of fat) 



!Q 

 TT 

 N 



Pure Granular 



Mass 



(Zooglcea). 



84*81 

 7-89 

 4*56 



14*34 

 14 -GO 



Granular IMass 



with partially 



developed 



Bacteria. 



84*26 

 6*41 

 3*25 



53*07 

 7*09 



13*82 



Perfect 

 Bacteria. 



83*42 

 6*04 

 503 



53*82 

 7*76 



14*02 

 a. 13*82 



An estimation was made of the albuminoid substance contained in 

 the Bacteria, by exhausting the mass with very dilute alkali, separ- 

 ating the soluble from the insoluble portion by filtration, neutraliza- 

 tion with liydrocliloric acid, and precipitation by addition of crystals 

 of salt. The precipitate consists of a new albuminoid, soluble in 

 excess of acetic acid, and lias been named by the authors mijcoprotfin. 

 It contains 52*32 per cent. C; 7*r)5 per cent. H; and 1'1'75 per 

 cent. N, and corresponds well with the formula Ci;jH,xN,.,Oy. It was 

 proved that neither sulphur nor phosphorus was present. Freshly 



* '.louni. prakt. Chcni.,' xx. p. 44:{; ' Journ. ("hem. Hoc.,' Abstr., xxxviii. 

 (1880) p. 176. 



2 K 2 



