XI, B. 4 Wade: Cai'hohydrate Fermentation 181 



dulcite, amygdalin, inosite, sorbite, nutrose, and inulin are not 

 changed. The division of the group into glycerin fermenters 

 and nonglycerin fermenters has no apparent significance. 



Veal-infusion bouillon is the most suitable medium for carbo- 

 hydrate fermentation by B. pestis. Litmus agar is more 

 favorable than Hiss's litmus serum-water unmodified, which is 

 quite unsuitable. Diminished reaction in Hiss's serum-waters is 

 due to unsuitability of the medium for luxuriant growth of the 

 organism and not to any directly inhibiting effect of serum 

 per se. In it, whether plain or peptonized, such reagents as 

 appear to be not adapted to promote growth by being themselves 

 primarily utilized are fermented secondarily and less decisively. 

 Salicin seem peculiarly unfermentable by B. pestis in serum 

 water or peptone water in usual concentrations. 



The types of media and the different sugars used have various 

 effects, some of them very definite and constant, on the amount 

 of growth and on the morphology of the organism. 



Fermentation ordinarily occurs more rapidly and completely 

 at room temperature (27° to 30° C.) than at body temperature. 

 Under anaerobic conditions at 37° C. acid production is accele- 

 rated, temporarily at least, to exceed the aerobic, room-tempera- 

 ture reactions. 



There is a well-defined maximal point of acid tolerance, which 

 is fairly uniform in the same medium for the different strains. 

 This ranges from 2.5 to 3 per cent acid for beef -extract broths 

 and 3.8 to 4.2 per cent with veal-infusion broths. There are 

 slight differences in the highest acidities with the different carbo- 

 hydrates. The maximal point is not changed by increased per- 

 centage of the sugar or differences in the original reaction. 



REFERENCES 



(1) Gioso and Biginelli. Riv. d'igiene (1898) (quoted by Dieudonne 



and Otto, reference below). 



(2) Rees, D. C. Brit. Med. Joum. (1900), 2, 1236. 



(3) Dieudonne, A., und Otto, R. Kolle u. Wassermann's Handbuch der 



pathogenen Mikroorganismen, Jena, 2d ed. (1912), 4, 173. 



(4) Calvert, W. J. Circ. Trop. Dis., Manila (1901), No, 3. 



(5) Herzog, M. Plague, etc., Pub. Bur. Govt. Lab., Manila (1904), No. 23. 



(6) MacConkey, a. T. Joum. Hyg. (1905), 5, 333. 



(7) Wherry, W. B. Joum. Inf. Dis. (1905), 2, 577. 



(8) Idem. Ibid. (1908), 5, 485. 



(9) VOURLAND. Centralbl. f. Bakt. etc., Orig. (1908), 45, 193. 



(10) MacConkey, A. T. Joum. Hyg. (1908), 8, 335. 



(11) Reports on plague investigation in India, issued by the Advisory Com- 



mittee. Joum. Hyg. (1908), 8, 302. 



