The record-union., 1898-08-21
MANS INVISIBLE ALLIES.
BACTERIA MAKE PLANT Ann
ANIMAL LIFE POSSIBLE.
A Sacramento Scientist Explains
Wonders Revealed by the
Microscope.

! There have lately been so many dis
patches and miscellaneous articles in
the "Record-Union'' concerning bacter-
ia, microbes and kindred microscopical
forms of life that few salient facts
concerning the world that teens with
our invisible friends and foes are
| timely
| 1t is q common and erroneous belief
IN Sacramento, as elsewhere. that the
myriads of invisible creatures known
by the general term microbe are our
enemies. This comes from the fact
| that modern bacteriologists have dis
covered that certain forms of these in
visible creatures cause cholera, that
others bring about Group or malaria.
diphtheria or consumption. 1t should
| be remembered that the species of mi
| crobe life swarming everywhere in ma
ture are as unlike in their habits and
effects on human beings as can be i'm
| agined
| A wellknown Sacramento student of
| bacteriology, who does not care to have
| his name used gives the Record
Union" the following interesting facts:
The organisms known as bacteria,
| he said, comprise a small class of low
| plants, SO like animals in their power
of multiplying and movement that they
puzzled US for years. Their study en-
crosses the attention of learned men
everywhere. Louis Pasteurs researches
| brought them TO the front and popular
| lied the study of these organisms.
1t was then learned from the local
authority on bacteriology that the fol-
| lowing benefits are derived from vari-
Gus forms of bacteria:
| There is a species of these invisible
creatures that causes the decomposi-
tion that enables manufacturers TO
produce linen from flax. The bacteria
produce that peculiar decay that enables
| the linen maker to get rid of the tough
| and valueeSS fiberS of the flax AL
most the same service is rendered by
1 bacteria in the manufacture OF Jute
| and hemp, in the commercial transfor-
nation of cocoanut fiber and in prepar-
ing sponges for the market In most
American tanneries bacterial putrefac-
ton softens the leather in certain
stage of its manufacture so that the
outer skin may be easily removed with
a knife.
The manufacture of vinegar, peer,
Tactic acid, indigo and other CONNER
cial articles of like character depends
| almost wholly on thorough knowi-
edge of the bacteria that cause the pc
culiar fermentations required. A fer
mentative process of a wholly differ
ent character is required in the proper
curing of tobacco. From the moment
the tobacco is cut in the field until II
! is put on the market it's progress is de-
pendent on the cooperation of invisi-
BILE forces called bacteria. Bacteria
also perform most valuable services in
| curing opium.
| But for the favorable action of the
proper species of bacteria the dairy In
| dustry could not be conducted. Cheese
and butter depend upon the presence OF
| the right breed of invisible workmen
| Cream will not properly ripen unless
| the dairy.1ans allies are of the cor
rect species The growth OF bacteria
during the ripening produces chemical
changes of complicated character,
changing the ingredients OF the cream.
Even more important than in butter
is the service of bacteria in cheese, the
various grades and fiavors of which
are caused by the work accomplished
| by microscopic forces. The 'ripen1ng
of cheese, so as to produce the charac-
teriStlc texture ana naVOr Oh any ue-
sired variety, has been brought to
high degree of perfection by DR.. Olav
Johan Olsen of Norway. An account
! of the meteorological methods by which
| he has reached his results is told in
| National Science" for June by Thora
Schul. Dr. Olsen's assistant, as follows:
DIR Olsen, it seems, has investigated
various cheeses, and has caught and
| tod bni,- tor
| reversed the process, and used his
| cultures to produce the various cheeses
! from which he started. The kinds Of
| microbes are not many, but by their
| combinations in different proportions,
| Z; To-