890 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 



(for three or four weeks) in the northwest corner 

 of Iowa, holding' a series of meeting's. It was only 

 a few miles from here where, a short time ago, the 

 Rev. Geo. Haddock was so cruelly murdered for 

 his having taken au active part in seeing that our 

 prohibition law is carried out. The effect of the 

 assassination of this minister is to unite temper- 

 ance workers. Quite a number have expressed to 

 me here, that they have, only since they have 

 witnessed this cruel murder, had their eyes opened 

 to the real wickedness of the rum power. 



This is a beautiful country— rather too new for 

 bees to do well, being- mostly fresh prairie lands 

 —not much white clover nor other honey-plants. 



D. E. Brubaker. 



Marcus, Cherokee Co., la., Oct. 30, 1886. 



BACTEBIA. 



FRIEND COOK THROWS SOME LIGHT ON THE SUB- 

 JECT OF REMEDIES FOR FOUL BROOD. 



T THINK readers of Gleanings will be interest- 

 l^f ed in some e.vperiraents that have just been 

 ^r carried on in our laboratory by one of my stu- 



■^ dents. It may not be known by all that all 

 putrefaction, or decay, of organic substances 

 of animal orig-in is due to the development of mi- 

 nute veg-etable org'anisms, or so-called " bacteria." 

 These tiny plants scatter their still tinier seeds, or 

 spores, as they are called, which, as mere specks, 

 not visible at all except when highly magnified, 

 are borne everywhere by the air-currents, and so 

 are ever ready to fall upon any inviting soil, where 

 they may germinate. The Bacterium termo, which 

 looks like two links of a chain, finds the requisite 

 soil and conditions in dead animal tissues, and so 

 is ever ready to seize upon them. If the moisture 

 and heat are sufficient, growth and development 

 take place, the dead tissue is consumed, the bacte- 

 ria grow apace, and, as a result of the changes, 

 foul gases are given off', which quickly convey to 

 us, if we approach the seat of the phenomena, the 

 exact state of the case. Foul brood is much the 

 same, only there the fungoid growths are able to 

 fasten on to living organisms instead of dead 

 tissue. All organic matter is susceptible to such 

 attacks. Putrid or decaying milk suffers in the 

 same way. T. Landon Sanderson, a distinguished 

 English scientist, has just shown that milk is often 

 i-endered very injurious to infants if bottles are 

 used that have rubber nipples, especially if long 

 rubber tubes arc used. Bacteria develops in the 

 ■milk Isft in the tube; these are carried to the stom- 

 ach of the babe, and often continue to swarm and 

 multiply in the alimentary canal, and so injure 

 if not victimize the helpless infant. Thus it is seen 

 that only such apparatus should be used in such 

 cases as can be thoroughly and perfectly cleansed 

 each time after use. 



Seeing the statement In the DritMi lice Journal, 

 that not only carbolic acid and salicjlio acid, but 

 also coffee, would destroy bacteria, I asked one of 

 my students to test the matter. The following is 

 the result: 



Ripe tomatoes were placed in water, and slightly 

 boiled. This decoction was then placed in several 

 tubes. In one phenol was placed; in another, sal- 

 icylic acid; in another, a strong decoction of coffee, 

 while a fourth was left exposed with no fungicide 

 ftddcd. Jn four days the last two tubes were cloud- 



ed, while the other two remained clear. Examina- 

 tion, with a 010 power microscope showed that the 

 clouded liquids were the scene of extensive fun- 

 goid operations. Bacteria of several forms were 

 rolling and i)ushing and scrambling by and over 

 each other, reminding one of a pond full of most 

 active wrigglers, or poiliwogs. This is a most 

 wonderful sight. We take no more water than the 

 smallest drop, and place this between two glasses, 

 placed flat, the one on the other, and yet, wonder- 

 ful to relate, we see millions of these little wrig- 

 glers sailing about as though the world were be- 

 fore them, so small are these minute fungi. Simi- 

 lar examination showed that tha clear liquid had 

 no such miniature life. Thus, while carbolic acid 

 and salicylic acid will pre\ent the development 

 of these minute fungi, coffee did not seem to do so. 



Some of the cloudy liquid was then placed in 

 each of these tubes, to which was added carbolic 

 acid, salicylic acid, and strong coffee, rcspectivelj'. 

 In a few hours the odor and life had all disap- 

 peared from the two first tube.?, while in the tube 

 with coffee the life and odor were still present. 

 Thus we conclude that coffee is worth more to 

 nourish our bodies and tickle our palates than to 

 destroy foul brood or other bacteria. A. J. Cook. 



Agricultural College, Mich., Oct. 30, 1886. 



We are very glad indeed, friend C, to 

 hear of these experiments; and while they 

 do not indicate positively that carbolic acid 

 and salicylic acid are antidotes for foul 

 brood, it very much strengthens the idea. I 

 have all along felt that the suggestions 

 tlirown out, tliat coffee might prove a rem-' 

 edy for foul brood, was a mistake, and I am 

 glad that you have shown by actual experi- 

 ment that it has no effect one way or the 

 other on bacteria. Now, are we to under- 

 stand that an infusion of tomatoes, such as 

 you made, will, after being exposed to a 

 warm temperature three or four days, al- 

 ways give l)irth to these same forms of bac- 

 teriaV If so, I suppose the explanation 

 would be that th'e spores of these lower 

 forms of life are always lloating about in the 

 atmosphere. If this is so, we are forced to 

 conclude that the frosts of winter have no 

 effect in destroying the life of these spores, 

 and I believe this is true in regard to real 

 foul brood. A heat equal to boiling water, 

 however, if I am correct, destroys all insect 

 and vegetable life. Boiling water is, there- 

 fore, the only safe means of rendering hives 

 and utensils, that have been in contact with 

 foul brood, harmless for future use. I pre- 

 sume we are to undeistand from your re- 

 marks, that phenol and carbolic ((c«Z are vir- 

 tually one and the same thing— at least, you 

 seem to use the terms indiscriminately. 



I would place the use of common salt, as a 

 remedy for foul brood, in the same category 

 witli coffee. It has been suggested, that 

 foul brood is caused by lack of common 

 salt. Now, this is surely not so in our case, 

 for we have been in the habit for years of 

 killing weeds in front of the entrances of 

 the hives with salt; and perhaps two or 

 three barrels have been used for the pur- 

 pose. Every time we have a light shower, 

 the bees have salt water to their hearts' con- 

 tent, right before their noses. , Shall we not 

 let reason take the place of using drugs in 

 the dark, in the hope that we may pos- 



