26 



SCIENCE 



[N. g. Vol. XLII. No. 1070 



has been previously flamed to insure sterility) 

 large end down and the alcohol ignited by 

 quickly passing a flame under the egg. The 

 success of the method from this point on de- 

 pends upon the formation of a drop of water 

 from the alcohol (60-70 per cent, alcohol has 

 been found most satisfactory) on the bottom 

 (large end) of the egg. 



When the alcohol has burned off, a very hot 

 flame (Tirrell burner) is directed at the drop 

 of vs^ater on the under side of the egg and 

 after sufficient heating a piece of the egg shell 

 from 1 to 2 em. in diameter snaps off. In some 

 cases the vitelline membrane is broken at this 

 point and the contents of the egg run out, so 

 it is necessary to have a container ready for 

 use. 



If the vitelline membrane does not break at 

 this point or all the contents do not run out, 

 it is only necessary to apply the flame gently 

 to the top (small) end of the egg when the 

 expansion of the air will totally empty the 

 shell. Care must be taken at this point not 

 to bum the egg shell or coagulate the contents. 

 This heating should be done with a nearly 

 luminous flame. 



The most satisfactory type of receiver is a 

 large Phillips beaker which has been previously 

 sterilized with a sufficient quantity of broken 

 glass in it to cover the bottom of the flask. 

 This broken glass serves to cut up both the yolk 

 and white and make a homogeneous mixture 

 from which an average sample can be with- 

 drawn and plated, using the usual precautions. 



This method has the following advantages: 



1. Simplicity. It eliminates the sterilization 

 of instruments in opening the egg and simpli- 

 fies the operation of breaking the shell. 



2. It eliminates the chances of introducing 

 foreign chemicals, which have been used for 

 sterilizing the instruments for breaking the 

 shell, into the egg. 



3. It minimizes the chances of infecting the 

 egg during opening and consequently allows 

 of a more accurate determination of the bac- 

 terial count of the content. 



J. E. EusH 

 Depabtment of Biology, 

 Cabneqdb Institute of Technology 



QUOTATIONS 

 THE DISMISSAL OP PEOFESSOR NEARING 



The issue which the trustees of the uni- 

 versity of Pennsylvania have raised by their 

 summary action in dispensing with the serv- 

 ices of one of the most able and efficient pro- 

 fessors of the Wharton School faculty is 

 vastly more important than any considera- 

 tions whatever affecting the personality or 

 opinions of the teacher in question or of the 

 members of the board itself. It is because the 

 incident reveals the existence of an irrepres- 

 sible conflict between two widely differing 

 ideals of university responsibility and duties 

 that it has called forth an instant and wide- 

 spread protest. The New Repuhlic recently 

 defined this conflict as one " between political 

 reaction and political progress, between intel- 

 lectual repression and freedom of speech, be- 

 tween a plutocracy strongly intrenched and a 

 democracy not yet fuUy conscious of itself." 

 And the arguments that have been already 

 volunteered in defense of the trustees, albeit 

 they are themselves silent as to the reasons 

 for their unusual action, fully justify the as- 

 sumption expressed in every protest that the 

 trustees (" the people who raise the money ") 

 regard " the expression of economic discon- 

 tent as immoral," and are determined to pen- 

 alize instead of encourage, on the part of the 

 teaching staff, that " continual and fearless 

 sifting and winnowing by which alone the 

 truth can be found. 



One of the trustees, however, has modified 

 the issue, if he has not raised an entirely new 

 one, when he denied the right of the public or 

 the alumni to demand any explanation of the 

 governing body of the university. " No one 

 has the right to question us " he is reported 

 to have said. " The University of Pennsyl- 

 vania is not a public institution. It is only 

 quasi-public. We are answerable only to our 

 own sense of duty and responsibility." This 

 is true only in the most narrow and technical 

 sense, and it is certainly not the position taken 

 by the trustees when they approach the city 

 and state for legislative favors and for grants 



