Dr. Lucius Nicholls 225 



There are a number of varieties of yeasts, 

 and many can be found in sweating- cacao 

 taken from different situations. But, as found 

 in association with cacao, since they are usually 

 of a fairly definite type, an attempt has been 

 made to regard them, irrespective of minor 

 differences, as one species, and to apply the 

 name Saccharomyces theobromce to these. 



The isolation and cultivation of these yeasts 

 and other organisms will be described later ; 

 it is intended to show first of all how these 

 organisms naturally get into the husked cacao. 



If the interior of a sweating-box is scraped 

 and some of the scraping is examined under 

 the microscope, there will be seen to be pre- 

 sent a large number of yeasts and other micro- 

 organisms ; from this it is obvious that as soon 

 as fresh cacao is mixed up in these boxes, these 

 organisms will immediately start to multiply 

 and bring about their concomitant changes in 

 the suitable pabulum supplied. This is not 

 the only way in which organisms arrive in, 

 and distribute themselves through the cacao. 

 Obviously, there are few, if any, present in 

 new boxes, or most of them will have died 

 out if the boxes are not used for a long time. 

 In these cases there is often difficulty in 

 getting the sweating to start. When it finally 

 commences the organisms have been brought 

 by a variety of ways, some are air-borne, 

 others are present in the dirt on the hands of 

 the workers, others again are carried to the 



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