1911.] Acetylmethylcarbinol and 2.3-Butylene Glycol. 497 



Table II. — Action of B. lactis aerogenes (Escherich) and B. cloacae (Jordan) 

 on various Alcohols. 



me 



Organism. 



Alcohol. 



Weight 

 taken. 



Carbinol 

 per 10 grm. 

 taken. 



Glycol 

 per 10 grm. 

 taken. 









grm. 



grm. 



grm. 



20 



B. lactis aerogenes 



G-lycerol 



5 



Nil 



0-05 



21 







50 





0-05 



22 











-05 



23 



B. eloaese 





10 





0-04 



24 





10 





Nil 



25 



B. lactis aerogenes 



Ethylene glycol 



5 





0-08 



26 







5 





0-08 



27 







5 





0-09 



28 





Adonitol 



2-50 



0-06 



0-22 



29 







2 -50 



0-06 



0-24 



30 





Mannitol 



5 



0-03 



0-23 



31 







5 



0-03 



0-04 



The growth was continued for three weeks, except in the case of 

 Experiment 31, which was for two weeks. The residual alcohols were not 

 estimated, so that the results stated above are not corrected for amount of 

 substance unfermented. Only in the case of mannitol and adonitol was any 

 carbinol detected. All these alcohols, however, yielded glycol. Citric and 

 malic acids gave negative results with both organisms. 



The action of B. lactis aerogenes on dihydroxyacetone, CH 2 (OH) CO CH2OH, 

 was also tried, but here again without positive result. 



4. Experiments on the Synthesis of 2.3-Butylene Glycol from Acetaldehyde by 

 means of B. lactis aerogenes. 



For each experiment a litre of Witte's peptone water was made up and 

 sufficient chalk added to neutralise any acids which might be formed during 

 fermentation. The medium was then inoculated with B. lactis aerogenes and 

 incubated at 37° C. for 24 hours before any addition of acetaldehyde was 

 made, in order to establish a good growth of the organism. 



In some experiments calcium formate (10 grm. formic acid per 100 c.c. 

 water neutralised with CaC0 3 ) was added with the acetaldehyde (10 grm. 

 per 100 c.c.) ; in others acetaldehyde was used alone. 



Two cubic centimetres of the above solutions were added to the culture 

 medium each day under sterile conditions, so that each flask received a daily 

 addition of - 2 grm. of acetaldehyde and the same quantity of formic acid 

 (as formate) in the cases where this was used. 



This treatment was continued until in two experiments 60 c.c. of the 

 .above solutions had been added, and in two others until 80 c.c. had been 



