548 Drs. T. L. Brunton and A. Macfadyen. 



(2.) Koch's spirillum. 



Finkler's spirillum : — 



1st day. No marked change. 

 2nd day. Translucent. 

 3rd day. Thinned and transparent. 

 5th day. Disintegration. 



The bacteria are therefore able, by means of their peptonising 

 action, to disintegrate egg albumen. 



(b.) Fibrin. 



To 100 c.c. of the meat broth small pieces of boiled fibrin were 

 added, and after sterilisation the flasks were inoculated with the same 

 microbes, then placed in the incubator at 37° C. 



Results : — 



(1.) Scurf bacillus. 

 Welford bacillus. 



1st day. No marked change, 



2nd day. Fibrin eroded. 



3rd day. Breaking up. 



4th day. Disintegration complete. 



5th day. Fluid has become turbid. 



(2,) Koch's spirillum. 



Finkler's spirillum : — 

 1st day. No change. 

 2nd day. Slight erosion. 

 3rd day. Frayed appearance. 

 4th day. Commencing to break up. 

 5th day. Disintegrated. 

 . 6th day. Turbidity. 



Here again we have a marked disintegrating action on fibrin. 

 Conclusion. — The bacteria exert a disintegrating action on egg 

 albumen and fibrin, as well as on gelatine. 



VI. 



Can we demonstrate the action of the enzyme on proteid bodies 

 such as egg albumen and fibrin, in the same way that its action was 

 demonstrated on gelatine ? 



The alcoholic precipitate from 500 c.c. of the meat broth culture 

 was dried at 35° C, and then dissolved in sterile distilled water. It 

 was then reprecipitated by alcohol and filtered. This precipitate was 

 dried in sterile plugged flasks, and to it were added 50 c.c. of sterile 



