ae Report OF DEPARTMENT OF BACTERIOLOGY OF THE 
Station each in turn took charge of the determinations and of 
the details of a number of experiments, as assistants in the 
bacteriological laboratory; and later M. J. Prucha and J. K. 
Wilson have rendered similar services efficiently in the same 
capacity. The Station Dairy Expert, Geo. A. Smith, has fre- 
quently assisted us in the preparation of material for various 
experiments. 
in BESMR OIA ¢ 
Although chloroform is commonly used in connection with 
enzym studies, discussions of its effects and limitations in such 
work are not numerous. The mere addition of a small quan- 
tity of an antiseptic to a digesting solution is often given as 
a sufficient proof of the elimination of organized ferments. 
The criticism of the work of Stoklasa by Mazé® indicates that 
more extended proof of the absence of germ action in such cases 
would be desirable. 
The germicidal effect of chloroform seems to have been first 
observed in 1850 by Robin (1). He reported that pieces of 
meat plunged into chloroform or exposed to its vapors did not 
decompose. The humidity of the air was thought by Robin to be 
the cause of decomposition. As the result of the work of Pasteur 
and others, Muntz (1) in 1875 had a clearer conception of the 
causes of fermentation. He made use of chloroform in distin- 
guishing between the organized and unorganized ferments and 
he observed that a prolonged exposure of germs to the action of 
chloroform caused their death. It is interesting to note that he 
added 5cc. of chloroform to 200cc. of mille and stated that the 
mixture did not curdle during four months. Two years later, with 
the aid of chloroform, Schloesing and Muntz (1) were able to 
establish the important fact that nitrate formation in the soil 
is due to the activity of germ life. 
Taking advantage of marked improvements in bacteriolgical 
technique, Salkowski (2) in 1888 contributed an important 
paper dealing with the applicability of chloroform to enzym 
study. He gave the results of a study of its germicidal effect 
on a number of bacterial species. His results may be summed 
up in the following statement: So far as his observations went 
during some years of work, chlorofori\ prevented all fermenta- 
°Mazé P. Sur lisolement de la zymase des vi zétaux et des tissus animaux. 
Ann. Inst. Pasteur, 18: 535-544. 1904. : 
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