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occasionally and even repeatedly the freezing point, the bacillus 
disappeared almost from the air. It became so rare that cooked 
white rice could be exposed from 5 to 6 days to the air without 
turning sour’). Did it do so in the end, then the same short rods 
were always isolated from the rice. 
On account of its polymorphy, and soon diminishing efficacy on 
artificial media, it was however desirable for me to dispose of a 
source from which every day new generations could be isolated. 
In December and January the air no longer produced them. As 
this bacillus seemed to have a special affinity for rice, the idea 
occurred to me that it might perhaps be found on dry grains of rice. 
For this reason dry grains of rice were sown on sterilized neutral 
rice and really every grain of rice?) proved to be a source of acid, 
in which the above mentioned bacillus was found. It seemed strange 
that this bacillus can live in such a perfectly dry grain. Therefore 
one might have surmised that it stieks perhaps only accidentally on it, 
as an air-bacillus. Further the finding of bacteria on or in all fully 
prepared grains of rice reminded too much of those investigators 
(VAN DieREN ete.) who attribute all sorts of evil consequences especially 
Beri-beri to feeding with long kept, peeled grains. Both considerations 
induced me to examine unpeeled rice (gaba) in the following way. 
In order to exclude all air-bacteria every grain of rice (gaba) was 
separately passed several times through the gas-flame, then the coarse 
yellow skin, and the fine white one under it is charred, and only 
the interior part of the grain remains white. The grains are now 
ground in a sterilized mortar, and this mixture of carbon and white 
amylum is inoculated on neutral sterilized rice. Then it appears that 
the acetifying bacillus lives likewise inside the unpeeled grain of rice, 
and continues to live, when the rice is treated in the way we have 
just described, for the neutral rice grows sour, and the bacillus appears”) 
1) If this investigation had begun as late as December, I should never have 
observed the acetification of the rice, and consequently never have obtained the 
results | have come to now. Until now | have not yet been able to capture the 
bacillus from the open air, and it is by no means impossible that it is more correct 
to regard it as a wall-bacillus living inside the houses on the walls and spreading 
itself thence into the rooms. 
2) Common rice, white not glossy rice of Java, Moulmein, Rangoen and 
Bassein harbours this rice-bacillus, the latter more than the other, or a more 
vigorous variety than the other sorts. 
3) It is an interesting problem, when this bacillus enters into the rice, whether 
in the fields, or after it has been taken to the barn. This question must be solved 
in India or Ltaly. Perhaps rice cannot ripen without bacteria. What part do these 
bacteria act? These might be questions of as great agricultural interest as the 
