1911.] Bacillus cloacae [Jordan) on Glucose and Mannitol. 503 



Production of 2.3-Butylene Glycol by B. cloacae. 

 A medium containing 50 grm. of glucose in 1 litre of a 1 per cent, 

 solution of Witte's peptone, to which had been added 10 grm. of chalk, 

 was inoculated with the bacillus. After six weeks' incubation at 37°, 

 the liquid was distilled to dryness under reduced pressure at 40°. The 

 dry residue was extracted with boiling absolute alcohol, and the alcoholic 

 solution distilled at 40° under reduced pressure. The residue, weighing 

 10*6 grm., was fractionated at normal pressure. A fraction distilling 

 between 178° and 184°, weighing 9'5 grm., which solidified completely in a 

 freezing mixture, was obtained. That this substance was 2.3-butylene glycol 

 was proved by converting a portion of it into diacetyl* by the action of 

 bromine water under the influence of light. From 4 - 5 grm. butylene 

 glycol was obtained 1 grm. diacetyl, from which was prepared the phenyl- 

 osazone.f After recrystallisation from alcohol and water the latter was 

 found to have a melting point 243°. 



B. Action of B. cloacae on Mannitol. 

 Considerable differences, while on the whole not so marked as in the 

 case of glucose, are also found on comparing the results of the fermentation 

 of mannitol by B. cloacae with those of B. coli communis and B. lactis 

 aerogenes. In Table III, Columns 1 and 2, are given the results of two 

 separate determinations of the products resulting from the action of 

 B. cloacce on mannitol, and in Columns 3 and 4 are given for comparison 

 the figures obtained by typical fermentations of mannitol by B. lactis 



Mannitol. 

 Table III. — Percentages. 





B. cloacae. 



B. lactis 

 aerogenes. 



B. coli. 



1. 



2. 



3. 



4. 





27-45 



26 -48 



32-5 



28 -1 





4-23 



3-67 



2 -5 



9-5 





2-64 



2-24 



8-6 



18 -6 





2-29 



4-24 



3 -2 



8-9 



Formic acid 



5-56 



4-56 



1 -5 



3 -0 





29 -02 



31-20 



35 -5 



28 -44 



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



146-8 



157 -8 



180 -3 



143 -0 



Hydrogen, c.c. per grm 



110 -2 



116 -9 



138 -3 



167 -0 



Eatio H»/C0 2 



0-75 



0-74 



0-77 



1-18 



* v. Pechmann, 'Ber.,' 1890, vol. 23, p. 2427. 

 t v. Pechmann, ' Ber.,' 1888, vol. 21, p. 2754. 



