A METHOD FOR THE CULTIVATION OF ANAEROBESI

In the course of a study of the bacteria causing spoilage in canned foods it became necessary to place large numbers of cultures under anaerobic conditions, and to devise anaerobic methods which would care for them with a minimum of ex-pense of time and material. A review of the literature showed that the most commonrly recommended methods, which would be suitable for these pur-poses, were absorption of oxygen by alkaline pyrogallate and the replacement of air by an inert gas, usually hydrogen, or a com-bination of the two. The cllief objections to these methods are that they are difficult to apply, requiring complicated apparatus, are expensive and time consuming. We have encountered still another difficulty in that even the most carefully made containers are likely to leak air. In case of a leak, the pyrogallate solution is soon exhausted, or the hydrogen passes out very rapidly and is re-placed by air. We have found that even the all-glass Novy jar would not maintain anaerobic conditions for twenty-four hours in many cases. These jars are also of rather limited capacity and very expensive. The number of methods suggested would lead one to doubt the complete suitableness of any one for all occasions, and experience with their use merely establishes the correctness of this impression. Several years ago Dr. Wolbach suggested the method of Sellards which he had used successfully in his work on anaerobes