322 



Scientific Proceedings (123). 



uriantly on heavily salted fish, brine, sea salt, and saturated salt- 

 fish agar. No growth appears on media containing less than 16 per 

 cent, sea salt by weight. The shape, size, and motility of both forms 

 is dependent upon the salt concentration of the medium, varying 

 from the largest form found in saturated media (14 micra) to the 

 spherical forms (2 micra) found in media of 18 per cent, concen- 

 tration with all the intermediate forms between. The motility 

 varies from the actively motile long forms, through a tumbling 

 motion in the intermediates, to the non-motile spheres. The 

 amount, character and coloration of the colonial growth does not 

 seem to be affected by the changes in the concentration. Due to 

 their extreme halophilic requirements, the staining of these organ- 

 isms is very difficult. The optimum temperature for growth is 

 50° to 55 0 C. Both forms are strictly aerobic and produce neither 

 gas nor acid in carbohydrates. Both forms will tolerate indefi- 

 nite exposure to the brightest sunlight. In all probability the 

 brilliant pigmentation is a protection against the bright sunlight 

 in the salina of the tropics where the sea salt is produced. Like- 

 wise their tolerance to heat and salt indicates such an origin. 

 Influenced by low temperatures and accumulation of metabolic 

 products these organisms suffer a temporary loss of pigment which 

 is regained on reincubation at high temperatures. In the spirochete 

 this loss of pigmentation is accompanied by the formation of coccoid 

 bodies. The peculiar characteristics of these organisms augmented 

 by bacteriological examinations of the sea salt and observations at 

 the point of production have demonstrated that reddening of 

 salted fish is due to the Spirocheta halophilica and the Bacterium 

 halophilica which are present in the solar evaporated sea salt with 

 which the fish are cured. Sea salts from all over the world con- 

 tain similar organisms. 



149 (1896) 



An appliance to be used with a gasometer for recording the 

 volume of each expiration. 



By CAMERON V. BAILEY. 



[From the Department of Biochemistry, New York Post Graduate 

 Medical School and Hospital, New York City.] 



The appliance, as demonstrated, is used with a gasometer in 



