1903] CURRENT LITERATURE 469 
hardly agree with the statement (p. 158) that “flowers are the organs of sex- 
ual reproduction in plants,” nor in the light of recent work done in physio- 
logical chemistry, can they affirm that “ the physical attributes of air, water, 
and of the gases and metals used in the physical apparatus cam never explain 
qualities like nutrition, respiration, growth, irritability, and reproduction.” 
Only a teleologist or a poet would feel justified in saying that a membrane 
“has the power of decision whether a substance may or may not enter a cell.” 
Occasionally one finds an error that has escaped the proof reader and is mis- 
leading. For example (p. 442) the embryo sac is described as “consisting 
of six cells which are formed in groups of three at each pole.” Although 
these petty criticisms might be multiplied, they are inconsequent and need 
not be noted when the scope and high quality of the book as a whole is con- 
cerned.— FLORENCE M. Lyon. 
Ferment organisms. 
THE TRANSLATION by Allan and Millar of Klécker’s book Gdarungs- 
organismen (1900)? renders this work accessible to all English-speaking stu- 
dents, and places a valuable text-book in the hands of those interested in the 
microbiology of fermentation industries. In the discussion of ferment organ- 
isms and the history of their relation to industry, two names stand out with 
especial prominence, those of Pasteur and Hansen. Pasteur’s discovery that 
hacteria were responsible for the diseases of fermented liquids led to the 
prevention of external infection, but could not be fruitful until Hansen had 
made practical application of his methods of distinguishing and securing 
pure yeast-cultures. In any text-book on fermentation organisms the results 
of investigations in the Carlsberg laboratory must therefore form an impor- 
tant part, and Klécker, for years the assistant and distinguished associate of 
Hansen, is especially fitted to present these results. 
The book is divided into three sections. The first of these, pp. I~15, is 
introductory and historical; the second, pp. 16-169, describes the fittings 
and methods of a zymo-technical laboratory, with especial attention to the 
preparation of pure yeast-cultures, to Hansen’s methods for preservation of 
yeasts, for preparation of spore-cultures, for analysis of top and bottom 
yeasts, and to his pure-culture system as applied to various fermentation 
_industries. The third section, pp. 170-345, gives a brief but excellent sys- 
tematic description of Eumycetes, including a general discussion of the 
‘Structure, development, fermentation phenomena, in aige variation, and 
Circulation in nature of Saccharomycetes. The text ends with a sho 
‘description of those fission fungi which are related to Sc aete fermentation. 
Each section has its separate bibliography, and though this plan necessitates 
‘some repetition of titles, the critical and historical notes by the author on the 
More important works give the lists unusual interest and value. 
?KLOCKER A., Fermentation organisms, a laboratory hand-book. Translated 
from the German by G. E. ALLAN and J. H. MILLAR. 8vo. pp. xx-+ 392. figs. 146. 
London and New York: Longmans, Green & Co., 1903. 
