Apr. 15, i93i 
Bacterial Spot of Tomato 
137 
cultures on uncooked potato cylinders, starch was still present in the dis¬ 
integrated tissue. There was, therefore, strong diastatic action on the 
starch in cooked potato tissue. 
Action on cellulose. —No evidence of any dissolving action on cel¬ 
lulose was secured by Sohngen’s method, 1 in which filter paper is black¬ 
ened by dipping in manganese sulphate and potassium permanganate, 
sterilized, and moistened with nutrient media previous to inoculation. 
Cytolytic action would be evidenced by the disappearance of the black 
manganic oxid. 
Tests for indol and ammonia. —Cultures in beef-peptone bouillon, 
6 days old, gave no test for indol when tested with potassium nitrite 
and sulphuric acid. Similar cultures of Bacillus coli gave a positive test 
for indol. Cultures in 5 per cent peptone bouillon yielded no test for 
indol after 5 days’ incubation at 22 0 C. and no test for ammonia with 
Nessler’s reagent. 
No growth occurred in Fermi’s, Uschinsky’s, and Cohn’s solutions. 
Blood serum. —Stroke cultures on plain solidified blood serum after 
3 days showed abundant growth, spreading, raised, smooth, and glisten¬ 
ing. Liquefaction had begun, and at 9 days a channel was formed 
along the stroke and the bacterial growth was yellow. 
On slants of Loeffler’s blood serum, the growth in 3 days w r as abun¬ 
dant, spreading, flat, smooth, glistening, and yellow in color. No lique¬ 
faction occurred, and the subsequent growth was not as vigorous as on 
plain blood serum. 
Toleration of sodium chlorid.— Tubes of neutral beef-peptone 
bouillon containing 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 per cent of pure 
sodium chlorid were used in this test. Good growth occurred in the 
presence of 0.5 per cent and 1 per cent sodium chlorid, but not in any 
of the higher percentages. Bacillus coli tolerated as high as 5 per cent. 
Toleration of acidity.— Tubes of beef-peptone bouillon titrating 
+ 3°» +25, +22, +20, +18, +15, +14, +12, +10, +5, o, —5, —10, 
— 20, —25, —30, and —40 were prepared. These media were adjusted 
by the use of normal hydrochloric acid and normal sodium hydroxid. 
Growth occurred only in the +10, + 5, o, — 5, and —10 tubes and was 
most vigorous in the +5 broth and least vigorous in the —5 and —10 
broth. The upper limit of tolerance lies, therefore, between +10 and 
+ 12 and the lower limit between —10 and —20. Bacillus coli grew at 
+ 20 and —30. 
That the acidity in the 4 - 10 and 4-5 cultures was neutralized by the 
organism was proved by adding a few drops of the indicator phenol red. 
This remained red, proving that the P H value had been lowered to a 
point below 7.7, while the control as tested with methyl red had a P H 
value of about 5.8. 
‘SoHNGEN, N. L. UMWANDLUNGEN VON MANGANVERBINDUNGBN UNTBR DEM RINFLUSS 
OLOGiscHER prozesse. In Centbl. Bakt. Abt. 2. Bd. 40, No. 22/25, P. 545-554, 3 pi. 1914. 
MICROBI- 
