Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
March,  1892. 
Analysis  of  Peptones. 
153 
20-250;  at  1 6-1 70,  fermentation  commences  at  the  end  of  our 
days.  Its  "  maximum  "  temperature  is  42-430.  It  will  grow  m 
all  the  usual  cultivating  media,  ferments  the  sugars  and  starch,  but 
does  not  attack  cellulose  or  calcium  lactate,  differing  in  this  respect 
from  Vibrio  bntyricus,  Pasteur.  Acids  are  produced  during  the  fer- 
mentations which  it  causes,  and  the  presence  of  acidity,  equivalent 
to  0-055  gram  sulphuric  anhydride,  or  of  alkali  equivalent  to 
008-0-1 1  gram  in  100  cc,  is  sufficient  to  arrest  the  process;  the 
addition  of  calcium  carbonate  to  the  liquid  enables  the  fermentation 
to  become  perfect.  Glucose  ferments  to  hydrogen,  carbonic  anhy- 
dride, acetic  and  butyric  acids  during  the  first  three  days  ;  from  the 
third  to  the  ninth  day  no  acetic  acid  is  formed.  From  saccharose  and 
lactose,  acetic  acid  is  formed  during  the  first  five  days.  The  greater 
the  amount  of  oxygen  present,  the  more  acetic  acid  is  produced  ;  it 
was  also  observed  that  at  the  time  of  the  butyric  acid  formation,  all 
the  cells  contained  spores.  From  the  fermentation  of  starch  a  dis- 
tillate was  obtained,  of  which  one-third  was  amyl  alcohol,  and  from 
100  grams  of  potatoes,  2-3-2-5  cc.  of  alcohols  were  separated.  The 
sugar  obtained  from  starch  is  very  similar  to  glucose,  but  has  a  less 
rotatory  action,  and  its  phenylglucosazone  melts  10°  lower  than 
that  from  glucose;  94  per  cent,  of  the  starch  is  converted  into 
sugar,  carbonic  anhydride,  ethyl  and  amyl  alcohols,  acetic  and 
butyric  acids,  and  6  per  cent,  is  converted  into  dextrin.  The  sugar 
formed  by  the  bacillus  from  starch  may  be  fermented  perfectly  with 
beer-yeast,  either  after  sterilization,  or  in  the  presence  of  the  bacil- 
lus. If  either  the  sugar  obtained  by  fermentation  of  starch  with 
this  bacillus,  or  a  sterilized  mash,  be  fermented  with  a  pure  cultiva- 
tion of  yeast,  no  fusel  oil  is  formed,  and  the  author  concludes  that 
the  fusel  oil  found  in  commercially  prepared  alcohol,  is  formed  by 
the  action  of  bacteria.  The  B.  amylozymicus  remains  uninjured  for 
10  days  at  50-550. 
THE  ANALYSIS  OF  PEPTONES.1 
By  C.  W.  Heaton  and  S.  A.  Vasey  (Charing  Cross  Hospital). 
It  is  well  known  that  in  the  digestion  of  meat  by  acid  pepsin 
several  compounds  are  obtained,  which,  although  similar  in  compo- 
sition, are  by  no  means  identical  in  chemical  properties  or  nutritive 
1  Read  before  the  Society  of  Public  Analysts  ;  reprinted  from  the  Analyst^ 
1892,  p.  28-34. 
