T H E FRACTIONATION O F BIOS, AND COIMPARISON O F BIOS WITH VITAMINS B AND C BY GEORGE H. W. LTJCAS
The work described in the following pages grew out of the physicochemical study of staphylococcus, anthrax and saccharomyces which has been carried on in this laboratory under direction of Prof. W. Lash Miller for a number of years. The first result of this study was that the toxicity of phenol solutions1 towards these organisms depends primarily on the chemical potential of the phenol2 in the solutions employed; the effect of the addition of a salt to the solution3 can in most cases be quantitatively accounted for by the effect of the addition on the potential of the phenol contained in the solution. This cause of death, however, can be masked by the toxic effect of solutions whose osmotic pressures are low4 and the effect of adaptability of the organism made itself felt as a disturbing element in the experimental work. To gain more information on the latter point, a quantitative study of the acclimatization of yeast5 to ammonium fluoride and its reversion was carried out. I n these experiments ammonium fluoride was dissolved in wort; and, as unpublished work by Miss A. Roberts shewed that the results were much affected by modifying the medium, attempts were made to grow yeast in the various solutions of sugar and salts described in the literature. None of these proved comparable to wort as a culture medium for yeast; an explanation was found in the work of Wildiers6 of Louvain whose experiments established the existence of. an unknown substance, by him called Bios, which if not “indispensable7 a u ddveloppement de la lezlzlre” a t all events has an extraordinary effect in accelerating its reproduction. Since Wildiers’ time, this substance has been studied by a number of authors some of whom rediscovered it for themselves.8 The study of this substance here was undertaken by Mr. N. A. Clark and myself. Mr. Clark’s experiments shewed that, within wide limits, addition of wort to the salts and sugar solution leaves the rate of reproduction W. Lash Miller: J. Phys. Chem. 24, :64 ( 1 9 2 ~ ) J. : 8. Lemon: 24, 570 (1920); J. S. Laird: 24,664 ( 1 9 2 ~ )C. ; C . Praser: 24, 741 (1g2(),25,I (1921); E. 1. Fulmer: 25, I O (1921). 2 T h e maximum of toxicity exhibited by mercuric chloride when dissolved in 25% alcohol can be accountpd for similarly. J. S. Laird: J. Phys. Chem. 24, 736 (1920). 3Discovered by Pcheurlen: Arch. exp. Path. Pharm. 37, 74 (1895), and studied by Beckmann: Centralbl. Bakteriologie 20, Abt. 1, 577 (1896) and by Paul and Kronig: Z. Phyeik. Chem. 21, 414 (1896). J. 8. Laird: J. Phvs. Chem. 24, 664 ( 1 9 2 ~ )I
