190 



Dr. A. Ransome. On certain Media for 



and were then used, in various ways, for the cultivation of the 

 bacillus of tubercle.* 



Two well-grown specimens of pure cultivations were obtained 

 (both through Dr. Childs), one (A) from the Institute of Preventive 

 Medicine, the other (B) from a private source, but tbe latter specimen 

 could not be guaranted as human bacillus, it was therefore labelled 

 as of doubtf ul origin, and the cultivations made with it were kept 

 separate. 



In order to test the activity of these cultures they were each, in 

 the first instance, sown upon (a) sterilised blood-serum, and (b) upon 

 " glycerine agar peptone," as these media were known to be the best 

 for cultivating purposes, and the results could then with advantage 

 be compared with those from the other materials used. 



Both specimens were found to be capable of active growth, though 

 the cultivation (A) was somewhat tardy. 



Table II. 



Media. 





Date of i 

 inoculation. 



Periods of incubation (at 35° C). 



2 weeks. 



4 weeks. 



8 weeks. 



12 weeks and 

 upwards. 





A 



April 3 





X 



x»x 



XXX 



Agar peptone .... 



A 



j> >> 





X 



X X 



XXX 





B 



>> » 



X X 



XXX 



XXX 





Glycerine agar . . . 



B 



„ 13 



X 



X X 



XXX 



XXX 



Agar peptone .... 



B 



„ 3 



X X 



XXX 



XXX 





The crosses denote- degrees of growth. One x means the first appearance of a 

 colony. Two x x , two or more colonies, evidently growing. Three x x x , 

 growth extending over medium. 



It was then thought well, in the first instance, to attempt to culti- 

 vate the bacillus upon media, on which it grows with difficulty, with- 

 out the presence of added peptones ; in other words, to find out 

 whether the presence of the condensed organic fluids from the sources 

 that have been mentioned would replace the peptones. 



Accordingly, simple agar jelly, with 6 per cent, of glycerine, was 

 made with each of the fluids mentioned, after careful sterilisation. 

 Tubes were charged with these several compounds, inoculated with 

 looped platinum wire, lightly charged, stoppered with sterilised 



* The various manipulations required in this inquiry were carried out chiefly by 

 Mi*. Tanner, in his Bacteriological Laboratory, at Bournemouth, and to his careful- 

 ness and skill much of the success attained is due. 



