( 480 ) 



fermeiiüxtiüii a new quaiitit}' of sugar (and chalk) is added, a further 

 purification of the ferment is observed. 



When using a smaller dose of sugar, the soluble nitrogen com- 

 pounds which occur in the albuminous matter, become more trouble- 

 some as they make the butyric fermentation more prominent. 



If the same experiment is made, the albumine being replaced by 

 an ammonium salt, G. urocephalum is quite expelled and the butyric 

 ferment, G. mccharobu.ti/ricum, gains the victory. 



That this experiment reposes only on competition, is proved by 

 the fact that G. urocejyhalum in pure culture, can grow excellently 

 and ferment \vith the said sugars and an ammoniumsalt as source 

 of nitrogen. Further, the pure culture on dilute mali-extract gelatin 

 proves that G. urocephahun, like G. pect'movorum, liquefies the gelatin 

 nuich more strongly than the butyricferment, and thus secretes more 



trypsine. 



The reason why these three bacteria accumulate so unequally in 

 the flax in the "current-experiment", and why G. urocephalum 

 takes the middle between the pectose-bacterium and the butyric 

 ferment, is thus evidently as follows. 



During the extraction the insoluble nitrogen compounds are removed, 

 so that, as source of nitrogen there remains nothing else but the in- 

 soluble vegetal proteids. This assures the victory to the strongly pep- 

 tonisin"- G. pectinovorum and G. urocephalum over the not or feebly 

 peptonising butyric ferment. 



This latter yields much more diastase than G. pectinovorum. and 

 G. urocephalum, so that its presence is a source of sugar formation, 

 starch being never completely absent. 



Hence, as soon as the butyric-ferment disappears, the insoluble 

 carbohydrates, too, will promptly be removed by the extraction 

 and the fermentation. The insoluble pectose only is now left behind, 

 by which G. pectinovorum, which secretes much pectosinase, finally 

 also subdues G. urocephalum, which produces little or no pectosinase 



at all. 



The lactic -acid micrococci produce no enzymes which attack 

 pi'Oteids, pectose, or carbohydrates. So, from the moment, that only 

 insoluble proteids and insoluble carbohydrates are present, Ihey 

 can no more multiply and are carried off by the water-current. 



EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE. 

 Fig. 1 (GOO). 

 Dmp pressed from Ilux-stalk at Ihe maximum point of a rolling during the 

 «current experiment", stained with iodine, and showing the natural accumulation 



