Action of Bacillus cloacae (Jordan) on Glucose and Mannitol. 501 



used consists essentially of an evacuated flask of about 5 litres capacity, and 

 has been fully described in a previous paper.* 



A. Action o/B. cloacae on Glucose. 



The substances produced by the action of B. cioacce on glucose were found 

 to be the same as those found in the case of B. lactis aerogencs, viz., acetic 

 acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, formic acid, ethyl alcohol, carbon dioxide, and 

 hydrogen. No trace of marsh gas was detected. As in the case of B. lactis 

 aerogenes the culture medium at the end of the fermentation gave Voges 

 and Proskauer's reaction, and there was also production of butylene glycol, 

 amounting to 19 per cent, of the sugar. The relative proportions of the 

 products of fermentation differed considerably from those of B. coli communis 

 and, in a less degree, from those of B. lactis aerogencs. These variations are 

 shown in the following tables. The actual percentages by weight of the 

 products on the glucose fermented in two separate determinations are given in 

 Table I, Columns 1 and 2. For comparison, in Column 3 are given the results 

 of a typical fermentation of glucose by B. lactis aerogenes, and in Column 4 

 those of a similar fermentation by B. coli communis. Table II shows the 

 number of carbon atoms per molecule of glucose represented by each product. 



On comparing the results given in Table I it will be seen that the ratio 

 of hydrogen to carbon dioxide by volume, viz. - 3 : 1, in the gas evolved 

 from glucose by B. cioacce is somewhat smaller than in the case of B. lactis 

 aerogenes (= - 42 : 1), and markedly less than for B. coli communis (= 1"19 : 1). 

 Theobald Smithj- gives the characteristic ratio for B. lactis aerogenes 



Glucose. 

 Table I. — Percentages. 





B. cloacae. 



B. lactis 

 aerogenes. 



B. coli. 



1. 



2. 



3. 



4. 





16 -55 



13-15 



17 -1 



12-85 





1-17 



3-04 



5-1 



18 -84 





2-04 



10 -99 



5-5 



31 -90 





2-03 



1-74 



2-4 



5 -20 





4-31 



3-20 



1-0 



o-o 



Carbon dioxide 



41 -75 



41 -11 



38 -0 



18-09 



Carbon dioxide, c.c. per grm. . . . 



211 -3 



208 -0 



198 -3 



91 -8 





64 -0 



55 -7 



82-4 



110 -o 



Eatio H 2 /C0 2 



0-3 



0-27 





1-19 



* Harden, Thompson, and Young, ' Biochem. Journ.,' 1910, vol. 5, p. 230. 

 t Theobald Smith, 'Centralb. f. Bacteriol.,' 1895, vol. 18, pp. 1, 494, 589. 



2 o 2 



