194 



Dr. A. Ransome. On certain Media for 



It was now determined to try to do without the help of the 

 glycerine, which, as is well "known, so greatly assists the ordinary- 

 cultivations of the bacillus. Accordingly, four tubes with simple 

 filter-paper as the supporting medium, and condensed fluids, from the 

 breath of a healthy person, and from that of a phthisical patient, as 

 nutrient fluids, were inoculated, and no glycerine was added. In 

 these tubes the same cultivation was used as in the previous experi- 

 ments. 



Shortly afterwards, two similar tubes with fluid from healthy 

 breath alone, but with 5 per cent, of glycerine, were sown with the 

 same cultivation, and were left at the ordinary temperature of the 

 laboratory, about 21° C. (see Table VI). 



All of the former group took on active growth within four weeks, 

 and one of the latter. In other words, it was proved that pure 

 filter-paper, moistened with these condensed fluids, alone would 

 suffice to nourish and promote the growth of the bacillus, and, 

 farther, that this growth would take place at ordinary temperatures. 

 It may hence be concluded that when this organic fluid is present in 

 ordinary dwellings, the bacillus may grow at the temperature of 

 living rooms as well as at the temperature of 35° C. 



In September, 1896, another attempt to test this point was made 

 by inoculating a dozen more tubes in which the various condensed 

 fluids were employed as nutrients. Some of them were placed in the 

 incubator, the others being placed outside. 



In this series, however, a sub-culture on agar peptone, taken from 

 the old Preventive Institute tube, was used as the seed ; and it was 

 soon evident that this sub-culture had greatly declined in vigour. 

 For three months no perceptible growth took place on any of the 

 specimens, and then only on phthisical breath to a very slight 

 extent. Although they must be counted for the most part as 

 failures, the results of the inoculations are given in Table YI. 



In consequence of this failure in vigour of the last used cultivation, 

 a fresh series of eight tubes was commenced on October 31 with the 

 same cultivation, which also failed. 



Then, in February, 1897, through the kindness of Dr. Childs and 

 of Dr. Curtis, a fresh tube of apparently vigorous cultivation of the 

 tubercle bacillus, guaranteed to be of human origin, was obtained 

 from University College, London. 



By way of control, this culture was sown upon blood serum and 

 upon agar peptone, and incubated at 37° C, and a copious growth 

 was found to be commencing on the blood serum within ten days 

 time (see Table IX). 



Two sets of tubes were then prepared of condensed vapour from 

 breath, and from ground air from a pure sandy soil. No glycerine 

 was added; but for the solid medium, in some instances, the pure 



