STUDIES ON FEUMENTATIOX. 



201 



upon which we now wish to dwell. It is of greater importance 

 to notice that the new yeast has none of the characteristics of 

 " high " ferment, of which Dutch yeast seems to be exclusively 

 composed, if we do not take into account impurities which 

 cannot be avoided in a commercial product of this nature. 

 Other specimens of Dutch yeasts would give the same results. 



Figs. 44 and 45 represent this new ferment magnified to 

 the same extent as the other ferments have generally been, that 



Fig. 44. 



Fig. 45. 



is ^^ ; it will readily be seen how different its form is from 

 that of " high " yeast, how far it is from having the spherical 

 aspect and mode of budding characteristic of that ferment. In 

 Fig. 45 the ferment is represented in a mass ; in Fig. 44 we see 

 the ramified groups, the cells and segments of which form, 

 after separation, the yeast of the deposit. It thus appears to 

 be composed of jointed branches of greater or less length, 

 which, at the junctions of the segments, put forth similar cells 

 or segments of a round, oval, pyriform, cylindrical, or other 

 shape ; in all its characters recalling the description of 

 demaUum. Moreover, the cells and segments exhibit a greater 

 sharpness of outline, as well as a more marked transparency 

 and refractive power than are found in the majority of fer- 

 ments ; but the most curious physical characteristic of this 

 ferment is its plasticity and elasticity, if we may use those 

 terms. It can only be made to diffuse through water with great 

 difficulty ; when shaken up in it, it sinks to the bottom quickly 



