132 BACTERIA IN DAILY LIFE 



has been isolated by Professor Weigmann, and 

 found responsible for this particular change. 

 Another microbe was discovered in bitter cream 

 whose office apparently consisted in rendering 

 milk strongly acid and extremely bitter. Again, 

 that objectionable condition of milk known as 

 slimy, ropy, or stringy, is brought about by certain 

 bacteria which render it viscous ; whilst another 

 crop of microbes are occupied in conferring upon it 

 the power of sticking to everything that touches it, 

 making it capable of being drawn out into threads 

 from several inches to several feet in length. 



Although we object in this country to slimy 

 milk, in Holland it is in special request for the pro- 

 duction of a certain cheese known under the name 

 of Edam. In Norway this kind of milk forms a 

 popular drink called Taettemjolk, and to produce 

 it artificially they put the leaves of the common 

 butter-wort (Pinguicula vulgaris] into milk. Pro- 

 fessor Weigmann has discovered a micro-organism 

 which frequents the leaves of this plant endowed 

 with particular powers of producing slimy milk, 

 and doubtless the credit of furnishing Taettemjolk 

 is really due to this microbe, and not to the inno- 

 cent butter-wort. " Soapy " milk, again, has been 

 traced to a specific germ discovered in large num- 

 bers in straw used for bedding, whilst it was also 

 detected in the hay that served for fodder. During 



