CURRENT LITERATURE 
BOOK REVIEWS 
Iron bacteria‘ 
Coming from such authoritative source, this monograph ought to command 
the earnest attention of workers in the fields of science and of hydraulic and 
sanitary engineering; containing as it does so much that is of both scientific and 
book is divided into seven chapters with the following titles: (1) The presence 
and distribution of the iron bacteria; (2) New iron bacteria, and a systematic 
review of known forms; (3) Pure culture methods; (4) The physiology of iron 
bacteria, and Wrnowcrapsky’s hypothesis; (5) Other iron organisms; (6) 
Iron bacteria in relation to the production of bog iron ores; (7) The iron bac- 
teria in their relation to practice: (a) rust formation in water pipes, (9) iron ~ 
bacteria and the therapeutic use of chalybeate waters. In this review it will 
be possible to touch only upon the salient features of the treatise. 
The author calls attention to the very wide distribution of the several 
species of iron bacteria, such as Leptothrix ochracea, Cladothrix dichotoma, 
Crenothrix polyspora, Clonothrix fusca, and Gallionella ferruginea, which occur 
in most bogs, ochre deposits, chalybeate springs, and stagnant waters, and at 
times in iron water pipes. As is well known, their presence in water pipes may 
create a veritable nuisance by the plugging of the pipes, or by rendering unfit 
for manufacturing purposes water that ought to be perfectly clear. It is 
pointed out as noteworthy that so far no iron bacteria have been recognized 
growing in sea water. To the six already well known species of iron bacteria, 
Mottscu has added three others: Chlamydothrix sideropus, Siderocapsa major, 
_ Sederecapse hiaaste eae last, coniously enough, being found growing on 
, for example, Elodea canadensis, 
Vallisneria “spiralis, and Salvinia auriculata, Doubtful recognition is extended 
by the author to certain new forms described by Davip Ettis. To obtain 
pure cultures of the various forms it is recommended that manganese peptone 
be used in combination with the native water and gelatin or agar, and the cul- 
tures should be grown at or about 25° C. 
Considerable space is given to a discussion of the physiology of the iron 
bacteria, dealing particularly with the older and widely accepted theory of 
* Moutscu, Hans, Die Eisenbakterien. pp. vi+83. col. pls. 3. Se. 12, Jena: 
Gustav Fischer. 19to. M5. 
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