BACTERIAL CELLULAR SUBSTANCE 53 



anthrax protein, with the following results: C, 52.1 per 

 cent.; H, 6.82 per cent.; N, 16.2 per cent., and a trace of 

 ash. We now know that both mykroprotein and anthrax 

 protein are cleavage products obtained from bacterial 

 cellular substances through the action of alkali. 



Brieger 1 found in Friedlander's pneumococcus a protein, 

 partially soluble in water and precipitated on boiling, 

 containing less nitrogen than is found in mykroprotein. 

 Lewith, 2 reporting work done by Hellmich on a hay bacillus 

 grown on synthetic medium, stated that a globulin was 

 extracted from the cellular substance by neutral salts at 

 ordinary temperature. This probably was in fact no part 

 of the cellular protein. Subsequent extraction with dilute 

 alkali gave a protein body described as an albuminate and 

 said to resemble casein. 



Buchner 3 demonstrated that certain bacterial cells con- 

 tain pyogenetic bodies. These are extracted from the 

 cellular substances with dilute alkalies from which they 

 are precipitated with dilute acids. The amount of protein 

 obtained in this way varied greatly with the species of 

 bacteria. Bacillus pyocyaneus gave the most abundant 

 yield, supplying 19.3 per cent, of the dried cells. By 

 heating on the sand-bath under a reflux condenser, or 

 in an autoclave at 120, filtering through sand, and precipi- 

 tating with absolute alcohol, he obtained a more soluble 

 protein. 



Brieger and Frankel, 4 Proskauer and Wassermann, 5 and 

 Dzierzgowski and Rekowski 6 prepared so-called toxal- 

 bumins from diphtheria cultures, and made ultimate 

 analyses of the same, but, as we now know, these were 

 mixtures and gave us no information concerning the com- 

 position of the bacterial cell. 



1 Zeitsch. f. physiol. Chem., 1885, ix, 1. 



2 Arch. f. exper. Path. u. Pharm., 1890, xxvi, 341. 



3 Berl. klin. Woch., 1890, xxvii, 673; ibid, 1084; Munch, med. Woch., 

 1891, xxxviii, 841. 



4 Berl. klin. Woch., 1890, xxvii, 241, 268. 



5 Deutsch. med. Woch., 1891, xvii, 585. 



6 Arch. d. Sci. biol., 1892, i, 167. 



