1012 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXIX. No. 756 



analyze all tJie gases produced by an organism on 

 a synthetic medium containing substance of 

 known chemical constitution. The results of the 

 use of this apparatus for studying the gas pro- 

 duction of B. coli are as follows: 



The Utility of the Society's Card in Classifying 



the Cheese Flora: H. A. Haedinq and M. J. 



Pbucha, New York Agricultural Experiment 



Station, Geneva, N. Y. 



During the past four years the flora of Amer- 

 ican Cheddar cheese has been intensively studied 

 at the New York Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion. In connection with this study an attempt 

 has been made to classify the organisms which 

 were found in nine normal cheeses and so charac- 

 terize them that they may be recognized by suc- 

 ceeding students. 



During the progress of this study there ap- 

 peared a classification of the bacteria of milk by 

 Conn, Esten and Stocking. This work was of 

 material assistance to us and covered the milk 

 flora so completely that all but one of the organ- 

 isms found by us in cheese is evidently included 

 under the types described by them. This classifi- 

 cation as arranged by Conn is an adaptation to 

 bacteria of the conventional botanical system of 

 classification. 



The society's card has also appeared during this 

 interval and the cheese flora has also been ar- 

 ranged in accordance with its system of group 

 numbers. 



As the result of this double classification the 

 germs found represent 22 types according to Conn 

 or 33 groups according to the society's card. The 

 classification of the germs found in nine normal 

 Cheddar cheeses according to each of these sys- 

 tems is given in the accompanying table. This 

 table is taken from Technical Bulletin No. 8, New 

 York Agricultural Experiment Station, in which 

 are given the details of this study. 



The amount of data required to determine the 

 group number and the type name is practically 

 the same, but a careful comparison of the utility 

 of these two systems in connection with this study 

 is strongly in favor of the society's card. 



This advantage lies in the increased accuracy 

 with which different workers assign germs to like 

 groups, in the quickness with which such assign- 

 ment can be made and in the ease with which 

 duplicates can be detected or the accumulated 

 stock of records be consulted. 



By the use of the card the results of one worker 

 are made immediately available to succeeding 

 workers and each can recognize the forms which 

 have been already described and build upon the 

 foundation already laid. By accumulating results 

 in this way, it will soon be possible to have as 

 exact a knowledge of the bacterial flora of any 

 given class of objects as we now have of the higher 

 flora of a region. 



It is believed that the introduction of the so- 

 ciety's card will prove the most important addi- 

 tion to laboratory and classification technique 

 since Robert Koch brought out the gelatin plate. 



Autolysis of the Oonococcus: C. T. McClintock, 



M.D., Ph.D., and L. T. Claek, B.S., from the 



Research Laboratories of Parke, Davis & Co., 



Detroit, Mich. 



Autolysis of gonococcus cultures has been ob- 

 served and reported by numerous workers. 



The purpose of the present study is: (1) to 

 confirm the results obtained by others; (2) to 

 determine the amount of ferment present, the 

 method by which it breaks up the cells and the 

 extent to which the action can be carried; (3) 

 to determine the effect of the resulting autolysate 

 on the growth of the gonococcus, and other organ- 

 isms in vitro, and (4) to study the effect of the 

 autolysate on the organisms in vivo and its pos- 

 sible therapeutic application. 



The results obtained so far are shown in the 

 following conclusions : 



Disintegration or autolysis occurs in gonococcus 

 cultures to a marked degree. 



This autolysis can be completely prevented by 

 heat alone at 70° C. for one hour, by heat in the 

 presence of trikrisol at 60° C. for one hour, by 

 50 per cent, and 95 per cent, alcohol in salt solu- 

 tion and partially by 4 per cent, trikrisol alone. 



Specimens stained at certain stages of disin- 

 gration show numerous fragmentary cell walls 

 still capable of taking the stain, indicating that 

 the cell wall is not completely disintegrated. 



