272 Mr. G.S. Walpole. The Action of [ Oct. 22, 
metals, when subjected to very low temperatures, which flowed from his 
early collaboration with Sir James Dewar in investigating this domain. 
In recent years he has taken a prominent part in the scientific development 
of telegraphy by free electric waves. 
The Action of Bacillus lactis aérogenes on Glucose and Manmatol. 
Part Il.—The Investigation of the 2:3 Butanediol and the 
Acetylmethylcarbinol Formed; the Effect of Free Oxygen 
on their Production; the Action of B. lactis aérogenes on 
Fructose. | 
By G. 8. WALPOLE, B.Sc. (Melbourne). 
(Communicated by Dr. A. Harden, F.R.S. Received October 22, 1910,—Read 
January 19, 1911.) 
(From the Bio-Chemical Laboratory, Lister Institute.) 
A preliminary communication on some of this work has been published.* 
‘The present paper deals with the experimental part of the investigation in 
question, and some new results are recorded. On examining the action of 
B. lactis aérogenes on glucose, it was found that the carbon content of the 
‘products isolated was not so great as that of the original glucose employed. 
A further examination disclosed that a quantity of a neutral liquid was 
‘present containing the amount of carbon needed to explain this discrepancy. 
As, in the preliminary communication, justification was shown for calling 
‘this liquid “ crude butylene glycol,’ the use of this convenient name will be 
continued here. The object of this investigation was to determine as far 
_as possible the nature of the constituents of this material, and the proportions 
‘in which they are found therein. 
The Conditions of Cultwation of the Organism. 
In all the earlier experiments the organism (JB: lactis aérogenes) was grown 
anaérobically in a medium containing 1 per cent. of Witte peptone, 2 per 
cent. of pure glucose, and an excess of chalk. Later, other sugars were used, 
and sometimes, when using glucose, the percentage of sugar employed was 
raised to 5,in order to obtain larger yields of one particular product per 
* Harden and Walpole, ‘Roy. Soc. Proc.,’ B, 1906, vol. 77, pp. 399—405. 
