FERMENTATION TUBES 85 



colon bacillus (see p. 27), 1-2 per cent, peptone water, 

 or a medium which has been largely used by Houston, 

 Gordon, and others, consisting of a 1 per cent, solution 

 of " Lemco " in distilled water with the addition of peptone 

 1 per cent., sodium bicarbonate O'l per cent. ; to either 

 medium is added 1-2 per cent, of glucose, lactose, sac- 

 charose, starch, inulin, mannitol, dulcitol, etc., and the 

 mixture is tinged with litmus. 



The fermentation tube has been much used of late for 

 the examination of faeces in abnormal intestinal conditions. 

 For this purpose 1 grm. of faeces is thoroughly emulsified 

 in 10 c.c. of physiological salt solution and 1 c.c. of the 

 suspension is introduced into the fermentation tube, the 

 long arm of which is 95 mm. long. The media employed 

 are 1 per cent, dextrose, lactose, and saccharose broths 

 made with " Lemco " (as above) or with sugar- free meat 

 broth (see p. 27). With such tubes normal stools yield 

 the following amounts of gas : 1 



Dextrose. Lactose. Saccharose. 



26-75 29-9 19-5 mm. 



1 See Herter and Kendall, Studies from the Rockefeller Institute 

 (Reprints), x, 1910. 



