Dr. A. Schulte im Hofe . 79 
thought the German word “Gang” would be better, 
i.e., “ Passage,” but here again there probably is 
some technical term, and I believe “tunnel” is 
best. ] 
Wuen I was in British India some seven- 
teen years ago, | turned my attention to the 
study of indigo fermentation, believing that 
the experience I had gained in the sphere of 
industrially applied fermentation would prove 
of particular value to me. From all that I 
had read and heard about the manufacture of 
indigo, I had come to the conclusion that 
micro-organisms played an important réle in 
the production of indigo from J/xdigofera 
tinctorta, but I was very soon able to prove, 
however, that the process known as ‘“ ferment- 
ation” in the manufacture of indigo has 
nothing to\do with the formation of com- 
mercial indigo, and that, in fact, the latter 
can be obtained from the plants even 
when the fermentation process is_ entirely 
omitted, because, as a matter of fact, the 
formation of indigo depends on a process of 
oxidation.’ 
When, some years later, I took up the study 
1 Dr. A. Schulte im Hofe: ‘“ Indigokultur und 
Fabrikation in Britisch Indien,”’ Dev Tvopenpflanzer, 1902, 
pp. 70 to 128. * Studien uber den Gehalt der Indigofera 
tinctoria au Indican, sowie iiber die Gewinnung des 
Indigo.” ‘Berichte der Deutschen Pharmazeutischen 
Gesellschaft,’’ 1902, p. 19. 
