78 STUDIES ON FERMENTATION. 



does ; but, nevertheless, there may be an absolute similarity in 

 aspect, development, shape, and size between the alcoholic 

 ferment, properly so called, and these toru/acece. 



We must here cite a case in proof. On May 28th, 1872, in 

 one of the rooms of our laboratory, we broke the fine points of 

 a series of flasks, similar to those used in our previous experi- 

 ments, containing must of grapes and deprived of air. We 

 then closed up the ends immediatel}' after the sudden entrance 

 of the exterior air. One of these flasks developed only one kind 

 of organism, which belonged to the torulacece. On June 7th 

 this was sufliciently abundant to cover all the sides with a 

 white deposit, and the surface of the liquid appeared quite free 

 of any mycodenna vini. To assure ourselves that we were 

 actually dealing with one kind of tnruhe, unattended by 

 fungoid growths, we waited until June 14th, but the aspect of 

 things remained unchanged. On that day we opened the flask ; 

 there was no escape of gas to indicate that the interior pressure 

 was greater than the exterior. AYe then subjected the plant 

 to microscopic examination. It was quite homogeneous, and 

 formed of a mass of cells, absolutely identical in aspect and 

 bize with old cells of ordinary yeast (Fig. 13). 



& ^ © 



Fig. 13. 

 We distilled all the liquid, of which there was about 100 c.c, 

 (3 1 fl. oz.) without obtaining any trace of alcohol in our distillate; 

 we collected 33 c.c. (about an ounce) of the distillate, which we 

 distilled again, and we submitted the distillate a third time to 

 distillation ; but even then there were no more signs of the 

 presence of alcohol than there had been in our first distillate.* 



* Here we had to seek for a most minute quantity of alcohol, that no 

 alcoholometer could have indicated. A certain sign of the presence of 

 alcohol is contained in the first few drops distilled ; these alwaj's assume 

 the form of little drops or strice, or, better still, oily tears, when alcohol 

 is present in the distillate. The distillation should bo eirecteJ with a 



