126 THE MICROSCOPE. Sept 
Some Moulds and Bacteria Found in Medicinal Solutions. 
By SMITH ELY JELLIFFE. 
Every observant pharmacist knows that certain prep- 
arations which are kept on the shelves are hable to be 
spoiled by the development of certain moulds. 
By means of a tour of inspection among some of the 
drug stores of the city, and with the generous help of 
the postgraduate class of the College of Pharmacy of the 
City of New York, a number of specimens of moulds 
were obtained. 
As culture media the ordinary bacterial media were 
used. In general four or five media only were used; 
those were nutrient gelatin; nutrient gelatin plus two 
per cent of glucose; nutrient agar, nutrient glycerin 
agar and nutrient potato agar. 
This potato agar and the gelatin agar gave the most 
rapid and characteristic growths. 
In order to get pure cultures of the moulds, the regular 
bacterial method of dilution was practiced. This method 
differentiated the moulds and yeasts quite readily, but 
with some it required several transplantings, sowings 
and fishings under the microscope to get the cultures free. 
from bacteria. The yeasts and the bacteria were readily 
isolated. 
The commonest mould found was Penicillium crusta- 
ceum, Lk., the Penicillium glaucum of other authors. As 
is well known, this mould is a common inhabitant of 
of mouldy bread and cheese, damp walls, closets, jams 
marmalades, etc. It has been found in infusion of wild 
cherry bark, compound syrup of the hypo-phosphites, 
solutions of quiaine, morphine, homatrophine, cocaine, 
and a number of other preparations. Its description is 
as follows : 
Starting from the spores, which are small, averaging 
3 to 4 microns, the mycelium soon branches, and by the 
