( 908 ) 
1 followed the course of my own investigations by indicating only 
one bacillus, this is however less exact. Accidentally the before- 
mentioned short rod had first drawn my attention, and as every 
bacteriologist is anxious to work with pure cultures, it was every- 
where isolated, in doing which I was often hindered by a certain 
lengthened rod that made its appearance in the cultures, for which 
reason several cultures were disapproved of. It appeared afterwards 
that in every portion of acetified rice and in every dry grain of rice 
both bacilli are found, which both make rice sour; it seems conse- 
quently that they live as in symbiosis, or support each other. Since 
that time I often worked with this mixture, indicated by nature, 
which appears to have a much greater vital strength *). 
If one keeps the rice of the noon-table in India till evening it 
may easily have turned sour, which proves that these bacilli aceti- 
fying rice occur likewise in the tropical regions; an investigation 
ought to be made whether their appearance is likewise subject to 
season or the state of the weather *). 
L should like to communicate here what acid was formed by 
this fermentation. Dr. Sraar was kind enough to offer me to isolate 
and determine the acid; this investigation however is not vet finished”) 
I have likewise to thank Dr. Sraan for the information that in 
order to neutralize the acid produced by bacilli from 20 grams of dry 
Mt 
grains of rice in 7 days 24.6 eub. em. 6 NaOH was required. 
This investigation into the fermentation of rice was consequently 
finished, and relying on the reports of EYKMAN and others that rice 
turns sour in the crop of chickens, | passed over to the following 
working-hypothesis. The acetifying agens in the erop and intestines 
well-known nitrogen-binding-bacteria for the roots of leguminousplants (BEIJERINCK). 
As Beri-beri does not occur in Suriname, | shall try to obtain rice from that colony 
for examination. 
1) Now the question occurs to me, if not many of the unsuccessful results 1 
obtained with media and breeding temperatures are to be attributed to my cultivating 
only with the short rod. Or are they after all two growing forms of the same 
bacillus? The vinegar-maker Mr. WixrortH told me that for his products le thinks 
pure cultures unfit. 
2) A rice-acetifying-bacillus was isolated by MAurER (Medan). [ am convinced 
that his bacterium A, is closely connected to, if not identical with the one | isolated 
at Utrecht. Mauvrer’s culture perished alas! | shall repeat the experiments 
described by Maurer in order to ascertain how far the conformity goes. Rost 
seems likewise to have found a similar bacillus in 1910. 
3) It is no Acidum lacticum (contra EYKMAN) and no Acidum oxalicum (contra 
Mavrer). Nor is it volatile for it does not diminish by sterilization. 
