1145 
Microbiology. — “Owidation of petroleum, paraffin, paraffinoil 
and benzine by microbes.” By Dr. N. L. SÖHNGEN. (Communi- 
cated by Prof. M. W. Brtserinck). 
(Communicated in the meeting of January 25 1913). 
In the following it is shown that the hydrocarbons‘) of the 
paraffin series, which chemically are so difficult to decompose, are 
easily oxidised to carbonic acid and water under the action of 
mierobie life. 
Most of the fat-splitting moulds do not grow or only very poorly 
on paraffin. RAHN*®) has deseribed a white Penicillium which can 
use paratfin as source of carbon whilst, according to this experimenter, 
bacteria cannot grow on hydrocarbons. 
But the latter statement is incorrect. Most of the bacteria which 
oxidise the hydrocarbons cannot decompose the fatty acids, which 
in their chemical composition differ little from the paraffins, but 
some species are also able to split fats by secretion of lipase. 
Hence, the paraffin-oxidising bacteria can be classified in two 
groups: fat-splitting and non-fat-splitting. 
To the former belong: B. fluorescens liquefaciens, B. pyocyaneus, 
B. punctatus, B. fluorescens non liquefaciens, B. Stutzeri, B. lipoly- 
ticum a, B, y and d, and the Micrococcus para ffinae, described below. 
To the second group belong some species of the genus Mycobactertum.”) 
Oxidation in crude cultures. 
The oxidability of petroleum, paraffin, vaselin and benzine was 
ascertained as follows. 
To 100 em? of a culture liquid consisting of: tapwater 100, 
ammoniumehlorid 0.05, bikaliumfosfate 0,05, in ERLENMEYER flasks 
1) For these experiments were used: paraffin (GrtBLER), paraffinoil (Merck), 
vaseline, petroleun (American and Russian), and benzine Beside the common 
commercial petroleum | often used a more purified product obtained as follows. 
American petroleum was shaken with sulfuric acid D. 1,84, with repeated refreshing 
of the acid, then with potash solution; after this again treated with acid and once 
more with potash; it was then dried on sodium and distilled. The fraction 150°— 
250° (free from nitrogen) served after removing of a small quantity of sulfuric 
acid by potash solution as food for the microbes. 
2) Raun, Ein Paraffin zersetzender Schimmelpilz. Centralblatt für Bakt. 2 Abt. 
S. 382, 1906. 
5) A. Weger, Ueber die Tuberkelbazillen abnlichen Stäbchen und die Bazillen des 
Smegma’s. Arbeiten aus dem kaiserlichen Gesundheitsamte 1903. Bd. 19. S. 251. 
Neumann und LEHMANN, Grundrisz der Bakteriologie. 5e Auflage 1912. S, 619. 
