X. ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. 



The President announced that certain scientific work on 

 the measurement of earth-tides was being carried out by 

 the Rev. E. F. Pigot S.J., at Cobar, and invited members, 

 who, felt so disposed, to contribute towards the necessary 

 expenses. 



THE FOLLOWING PAPERS WERE READ: 



1. " Notes on Acacia, No. 2," by J. H. Maiden, f.r.s. 



'2. "Table to facilitate the location of the Cubic Parabola," 

 by O. J. Merfield, f.r.a.s. (Communicated by Mr. J. 

 Nangle). 



exhibits : 



1. Dr. H. G. Chapman exhibited a sample of "peptone" 

 obtained from hen's egg-white. This had been prepared to 

 replace Witte's peptone in media used for growing micro- 

 organisms. Since the beginning of the war, bacteriologists 

 had been husbanding their stocks of Witte's peptone, made 

 in Germany, as other brands of commercial peptone on this 

 market had not been satisfactory as substitutes for Witte's 

 peptone. The "peptone" that he had made, was tested in 

 a bouillon agar on which meningococci were sown. The 

 meningococci grew luxuriantly, when this agar was stroked 

 with serum. On subculture the meningococci grew on the 

 peptone agar alone. Streptococci could be readily culti- 

 vated on media containing this "peptone." The "peptone" 

 had been used with complete satisfaction in the Patho- 

 logical Department of the University of Sydney for routine 

 bacteriological investigations. Dr. Chapman hoped that 

 other bacteriologists would use it in preference to German 

 peptone. The peptone had been prepared in the following 

 manner : — One hundred and fifty cubic centimetres of fresh 

 egg-white containing 15 gm. protein were stirred with 150 

 c.cm. 2% aqueous solution of sodium chloride. To this 

 mixture 300 c.cm. N/10 soda were added. The alkaline 

 liquid was warmed at 37° C. for 15 days in a sterilized flask 

 when the fluid no longer coagulated upon boiling it. The 



