June 25, 1909] 



SCIENCE 



1005 



stage at which barred chicks usually exhibit 

 distinct barring in their first feathers. Such 

 barring is absent in these F„ chicks. 



THE TENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE 



SOCIETY OF AMERICAN BACTERIOLO- 

 GISTS HELD AT BALTIMORE, MD., 

 DECEMBER 29-31, 190S 



The tenth annual meeting of the Society of 

 American Bacteriologists was held in the rooms 

 of the laboratories of pathology and of physiology 

 of the Johns Hopkins University and Hospital, 

 Baltimore, Md., on December 29, 30 and 31, 1908. 



Professor H. L. Russell, of the University of 

 Wisconsin, president of the society, occupied the 

 chair. 



The scientific program consisted of thirty-two 

 papers, all of which aroused much interest; cer- 

 tain of them are reproduced in abstract below. 

 The society also met in joint session with Section 

 K of the American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science on December 30, when a paper 

 on " Anaphylaxis " was read by one of its mem- 

 bers. Dr. M. J. Rosenau, of Washington, D. C. 



About fifty-two persons were in daily attendance 

 at the several sessions of the society. 



During the sessions the following matters of 

 business were transacted: Dr. William H. Welch, 

 of Baltimore, was reelected to represent the so- 

 ciety on the council of the American Association 

 for the Advancement of Science. To fill the va- 

 cancy on the Committee on Methods and Identifi- 

 cation of Species, caused by the absence of Pro- 

 fessor F. D. Chester, Professor C.-E. A. Winslow, 

 of Boston, was duly elected. Professor Erwin F. 

 Smith, of Washington, D. C, was delegated to 

 represent the society at the approaching meetings 

 of the International Botanical Congress at Brus- 

 sels in 1910. The question of the society with- 

 drawing its affiliation with the American Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Science and trans- 

 ferring the same to the American Society of 

 Naturalists and agreeing to meet with the latter 

 body in the future was warmly discussed. It was 

 decided to sever the present relations and join 

 meetings with the naturalists should they decide 

 to meet apart from the American Association for 

 the Advancement of Science. 



The following are the names of the officers of 

 the society elected for the year 1909: 



President — Dr. J. J. Kinyoun, Washington, 

 D. C. 



Vice-president — Dr. Veranus A. Moore, Ithaca, 

 N. Y. 



Secretary and Treasurer — Dr. N. MacL. Harris, 

 Chicago, 111. 



Council — Dr. W. W. Ford, Baltimore, Md.; 

 Dr. F. C. Harrison, Macdonald College, Quebec; 

 Dr. H. W. Hill, Minneapolis, Minn.; Mr. Lore A. 

 Rogers, Washington, D. C. 



By the election of the following gentlemen, the 

 limit to active membership in the society, as de- 

 fined by the constitution, has now been reached, 

 namely, 125: 



Dr. Burdett L. Arms, assistant director of the 

 bacteriological laboratory of the Board of Health, 

 Boston, Mass. 



Dr. John W. Connaway, professor of compara- 

 tive medicine, and veterinarian in the College of 

 Agriculture, the University of Missouri, Colum- 

 bia, Mo. 



Mr. George E. Gage, assistant in bacteriology, 

 Yale University, New Haven, Conn. 



Mr. Daniel D. Jackson, director of the labora- 

 tories. Department of Water Supply, Gas and 

 Electricity, New York City. 



Dr. Harry T. Marshall, professor of pathology 

 and bacteriology. University of Virginia, Char- 

 lottesville, Va. 



Dr. Otto Rahn, assistant professor of bacteriol- 

 ogy and hygiene, Michigan Agricultural College, 

 East Lansing, Mich. 



Mr. James C. Temple, soil bacteriologist, Georgia 

 Agricultural Experiment Station, Experiment, Ga. 



ABSTRACTS OP CEBTAIH" PAPEKS 



Acid Fermentations of Milk: E. 6. Hastings and 

 B. W. Hammer, University of Wisconsin, Madi- 

 son, Wis. 



In milk, butter and cheese are constantly found 

 organisms identical in all important points with 

 those supposed to be characteristic of certain 

 fermented milks, especially the Bulgarian yog- 

 hurt. Production of 3-4 per cent, of acid in milk, 

 growth at high temperature characterize the or- 

 ganism. The therapeutic value which has been 

 ascribed by Metchnikoff and others to the fer- 

 mented milks, such as yoghurt, is probably due 

 to the composition of the milk, rather than to the 

 presence of the peculiar organism. Since oppor- 

 tunity is constantly offered for the alimentary 

 tract to become seeded with the organism, if it 

 finds favorable conditions for grovpth in the ali- 

 mentary tract, it should establish itself, no matter 

 how slight the seeding may be, and we should find 

 it in the feces constantly. Massive seedings can 

 only temporarily establish the organism unless the 

 environment is favorable. 



