STRUCTURE, MOTIONS, REPRODUCTION. 121 



The chemical composition of the bacterial cells has been inves- 

 tigated by Nencki, Brieger, and others. Putrefactive bacteria culti- 

 vated in a two-per-cent solution of gelatin, and which produced an 

 abundant intercellular substance connecting the cells in zoogloea 

 masses, were found by Nencki to have the following composition : 

 Water, 84. 26 per cent ; solids, 5. 74 per cent, consisting of albumin 

 87.46 per cent, fat 6.41, ash 3.04, undetermined remnant 3.09. 

 The albuminous substance, according to Nencki, is not precipitated 

 by alcohol, and differs in its chemical composition from other known 

 substances of this class. He calls it mykoprotein and gives the fol- 

 lowing as its chemical composition : C, 52.33 percent; H, 7.55 per 

 cent ; N, 14.75 per cent. It contains no sulphur and no phosphorus. 

 The spores of the anthrax bacillus, according to Nencki, do not con- 

 tain mykoprotein, but a peculiar albuminous substance which he 

 calls anthrax-protein. Brieger analyzed a gelatin culture of Fried- 

 lander's bacillus, with the following result : Water, 84.2 per cent ; 

 solids, 5.8 per cent, containing 1.74 per cent of fats. After removal 

 of the fat the solids gave an ash of 30.13 per cent ; this contains cal- 

 cium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, sodium sulphate, and sodium 

 chloride. The amount of nitrogen in the dried substance after re- 

 moval of the fat was 9. 75. 



