BACTERIAL PROTEINS 15 



they consist largely of cellulose. It is true that 

 certain investigators have claimed to demon- 

 strate even large amounts of cellulose in bac- 

 teria. Hammerschlag on wholly inadequate evi- 

 dence estimated the per cent of cellulose in the 

 tubercle bacillus as high as 28.1. DeSchwein- 

 itz and Dorset reduce this amount to 6.95 per 

 cent, but hardly accept this figure themselves 

 since they conclude that cellulose is probably 

 present in small amount in the tubercle bacil- 

 lus, and not present in the bacillus of glanders. 

 These and other investigators, who have re- 

 ported the presence of cellulose in bacterial cel- 

 lular substances, have not properly distin- 

 guished between cellulose and other carbohy- 

 drates. Vincenzi employing proper tests failed 

 to find cellulose in the cellular substance of 

 bacillus subtillis, but did find a nitrogenous car- 

 bohydrate. In our work, Wheeler made special 

 search for cellulose in sarcina lutea. Twenty 

 grams of cell substance was autoclaved with 25 

 parts (500 c.c.) of ten per cent potassium hy- 

 droxide at 120, first for thirty minutes and 

 then for an hour. There remained a consider- 

 able residue which gave none of the protein re- 

 actions, did not reduce Fehling's solution even 

 after prolonged boiling with dilute hydro- 

 chloric acid, but did respond to the carbohy- 



