BACILLUS FITZIANUS. 



At the time Fitz made his experiments, no method of prepar- 

 ing pure cultures had as yet been devised. It is therefore of 

 interest to record that his reports were tested by H. BUCHNER (VI.) 

 by the aid of the dilution method. The results were confirmatory, 

 not only of the fermentative activity, but also of the pleomorphism 

 of this glycerin- ethyl bacterium, which was later named by Zopf 

 Bacillus Fitzianus. As shown in Fig. 44, this fission fungus occurs 

 both as cocci and as short and long rods, and is able to produce 

 endospores. Though of no practical importance, it is mentioned here 

 chiefly in order to show that the production of ethyl alcohol during 

 fermentation can 



O O O 



be effected, not 

 only by the higher 

 fungi (yeast in par- 

 ticular), but also 

 by Schizomycetes. 

 This fact is over- 

 looked by many 

 chemists when 

 they speak of 

 " alcoholic fer- 

 mentation fungi," 

 meaning thereby 

 yeast alone. 



Allied to the 

 last-named bacillus 

 as regards fer- 

 mentative activity 

 is the Bacillus eth- 

 aceticus, cultivated 

 from sheep - dung 

 by P. FRANKLAND, 



J. FOX (L), and FIQ - 44-Bacillus Fitzianus. 



MACGREGOR (I ) a ' b > f> 9- cocci gradually changing into short rods, then (c, e) 

 _,. . . .. * '% into long rods; d. the same with an endospore. Magn. 



I his IS a motile rod 4000. (After H. Buchner.) 



about 0.8-1.0 /A 



broad and 1.5-5.1 p long, which, however, seems to lack the 

 faculty of producing spores. It ferments glycerin, mannite, and 

 arabinose in such a manner that the chief products are, in addition 

 to small quantities of formic acid and succinic acid, ethyl alcohol 

 and acetic acid, the ratio found being, in the first instance 2. 1 1 : i ; 

 in the case of mannite, 1.63 : i ; and in the last, i : 1.96. In a 

 subsequent communication FRANKLAND and FREW (I.) demonstrated 

 that gly eerie acid CH 2 .OH CH.OH COOH, is decomposed 

 in the same way, the molecular ratio of the ethyl alcohol to the 

 acetic acid being about i to 4. 



Whereas the last-named bacillus leaves dulcite unattacked, this 

 hexavalent isomer of mannite is fermented by Bacillus ethaceto- 

 VOL. i. M 



