SARCINA. 155 



Adametz in cheese. It develops a yellow colony in stab- 

 cultures on agar. It precipitates casein from milk. A dark 

 brownish-yellow colour is developed by S. fusca, discovered 

 by Gruber in flour. Among the varieties exhibiting a red 

 growth are S. rubra, giving glistening red colonies on the 

 surface of gelatine, and slowly liquefying it. The colouring 

 matter is insoluble in alcohol. 8. rosacea, occurring in air and 

 water, usually forms irregular masses of cells in malt extract, 

 but develops the typical shapes in a hay decoction, which are 

 surrounded by a brownish envelope. On a neutral malt extract 

 gelatine it forms a reddish deposit with a dry surface. The 

 colouring matter is soluble in warm alcohol. S. maxima, 

 found by Lindner, which develops in a malt mash at 40 to 

 45 C., has cells of 3 to 4 n diameter. 



8. mobilis, isolated by Wolff from milk, is distinguished 

 from each of the above by having motile cells. It shows the 

 typical form both in liquids and on solid substrata, liquefies 

 gelatine, and forms yellow colonies on whey gelatine and agar. 



In the fermentation industry, sarcina-like organisms occur 

 in addition to those already mentioned in section 8, especially 

 in low-fermentation lager beer, where they may develop 

 during the secondary fermentation. Pasteur described and 

 depicted the diplococcus and tetracoccus forms, and he noted 

 that beer contaminated with such bacteria assumes a dis- 

 agreeable flavour and smell. At a later date 

 they were depicted by E. C. Hansen under & , 



the name Sarcina (Fig. 30). He found them in y, <$ & 

 many parts of the brewery plant, and estab- 8 $ fs 



lished by direct experiments the nature of their Fig. so. sarciua. 

 influence on beer. Balcke, who afterwards 

 investigated such beer, regarded it as established that the 

 sarcina-like organisms were responsible for the disease, and as he 

 only found the diplo- and tetracoccus, and not the packet form, 

 he gave it the name Pediococcus cerevisice. Other workers have 

 since failed to isolate the typical sarcina form from diseased 

 beer, and have only detected irregularly massed cells, so grouped 

 that it was impossible to determine how they were produced. 

 The possibility is not, however, excluded that we may be able, 

 as in other cases, to detect typical sarcina forms in these? 



