Dr. Lucius Nicholls 225 
There are a number of varieties of yeasts, 
and many can be found in sweating cacao 
taken from different situations. But, as found 
in association with cacao, since they are usually 
of a fairly definite type, an attempt has been 
made to regard them, irrespective of minor 
differences, as one species, and to apply the 
name Saccharomyces theobrome to these. 
The isolation and cultivation of these yeasts 
and other organisms will be described later ; 
it is intended to show first of all how these 
organisms naturally get into the husked cacao. 
If the interior of a sweating-box is scraped 
and some of the scraping is examined under 
the microscope, there will be seen to be pre- 
sent a large number of yeasts and other micro- 
organisms; from this it is obvious that as soon 
as fresh cacao is mixed up in these boxes, these 
organisms will immediately start to multiply 
and bring about their concomitant changes in 
the suitable pabulum supplied. This is not 
the only way in which ‘organisms arrive in, 
and distribute themselves through the cacao. 
Obviously, there are few, if any, present in 
new boxes, or most of them will have died 
out if the boxes are not used for a long time. 
In these cases there is often difficulty in 
getting the sweating to start. When it finally 
commences the organisms have been brought 
by’ a variety of ways, some are air-borne, 
others are present in the dirt on the hands of 
the workers, others again are carried to the 
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