ALKALI-FORMING BACTERIA FOUND IN MILK. 25 
Table 11. — Summary of the fermentation of the organic-acid salts. 
Acid. 
Pyruvic . . 
Citric 
Malic 
Lactic 
Succinic . . 
Acetic 
Propionic 
Butyric. 
Valeric . . . 
Caproic. . . 
Mucic 
Glyceric . . 
Tartaric . . 
Oxalic 
Malonic. . 
Glycolic . . 
Formic . . 
Benzoic. 
Salicylic 
Chemical structure. 
CH3COCOOH.... 
fCH 2 — COOH1 
^coh— coom 
lCH 2 — COOHJ 
/CH— (OH) COOH\ 
\CH2— COOH / 
CH 3 
{CHOH 
{CO OH 
fCHr-COOHl 
\CHs- COOH/ 
CH3COOH 
CH3CH2COOH 
CH3CH2CH2COOH 
CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 COOH 
CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 COOH 
COOH (CHOH) (CHOH) (CHOH) 
(CHOH) COOH. 
CH 2 OH (CHOH) COOH 
COOH (CHOH) (CHOH) COOH 
/COOH1 
\COOHj 
CH 2 \ C0 OH/ " 
/CH 2 OH\ 
1 COOH/ 
H-<og} 
| ICOOH 
COOH 
I I OH t 
Number 
of 
cultures 
ferment- 
ing. 
Remarks. 
Ketone connecting a carboxyl 
and a methyl radical. 
Secondary or tertiary alcohol 
] radical linked to a carboxyl 
and to a methyl radical. 
No alcohol radical. Methyl 
linked to a carboxyl radical. 
Alcohol radical linked to a car- 
boxyl and to another alcohol 
radical. 
Two carboxyls linked together. 
iTwo carboxyls linked with 
/ methyl radical. 
^Primary alcohol linked with a 
/ carboxyl. 
\ Aldehyd radical linked to hy- 
/ droxyl. 
Benzol ring. 
Total number of cultures, 68. 
Some of the bacteria were able to obtain their carbon from benzoic 
and salicylic acids, in which case it was apparently necessary for the 
bacteria to split the benzol ring. If they could obtain their carbon 
without splitting the benzol ring they would have to take it from the 
COOH group, and if it was possible in this case, it would be expected 
that they could also obtain carbon from the COOH group of oxalic 
acid. The sodium salt of benzoic acid was fermented by more cul- 
tures than that of salicylic acid, as is shown by the fact that 16 cul- 
tures fermented benzoic and only 12 salicylic. The stronger anti- 
septic property of salicylic acid, which possibly is due to the presence 
of the hy droxyl group, may make it difficult for some of the bacteria 
to grow in the presence of the acid salts. 
