Evening star., 1902-08-01
COLOR OF BACTERIA
MICRO ORGANISMS THAT CAUSE
MILK TO TURN BLUE.
Germs Sf Every Rainbow Hue - Mi
ctobes Which Made Fresh
Bread Red.

From the Literary Digest.
The micro organisms are interesting out
OF all Proportion to their size. and not the
least interesting phase of their existence
Is that described in an article in La Nature
by M Henri Coupin. M. Coupin treats
especially of the coloring matters produced
by bacteria, some of which are noteworthy
for their brilliancy and others for their
chemical or physiological peculiarities.
Says NJ. Coupin:
"A large number of bacteria produce col
oring matter Sometimes very vivid.
There are two cases; in one, the most nu-
merous, the pigment remains inside the ele-
ments that manufacture it; thus the bac-
terra themselves are colored. In the other
the pigment spreads as it is produced into
the surrounding medium, and this has the
characteristic color, while the bacteria
themselves are pale or even colorless. Thus
the Bacillus f1uorescens and others are
nearly white while they color the culture
medium green"
Yellow, Red and Blue.
Every species, we are told. has its par
ticular color; one is citron yellow. another
golden. many are brilliant red, one at least
is pink, the bacillus of blue milk is sky
blue; others are respectively greenish blue,
violet and brown. The characteristic dis
the microbes that produce them. Says NJ.
Coupin:
THE nature of all these pigments is Inn
perfectly known. We only know that there
are great differences among them. Most
seem to belong to the group of lipochromes;
that Is, they are in combination with fatty
substances.
'All these microbes make their coloring
matter as well in darkness as in light, pro-
yided they have oxygen at their disposal.
The chemical nature of the surrounding me-
dunn seems to have an influence on the
brightness of fztheir hues. Heat appears to
be unfavorable to the production of the pig
ments =
Makes Bread Like Blood.
The best known of these color-forming
bacilli Is bacillus prodigiosus, whose beau
tiful red colonies often appear on food
stuffs: bread, for example. To it also are
to be attributed the spots of blood some
times found on communion waters and once
supposed to be Of miraculous origin-'prodi-
gies; whence the name. The bacillus prodi-
giosus sometimes attacks whole bakery;
In 1s43 large quantities of bread Intended
for the army were thus attacked and be-
came red. 1t also attacks wheat and rOtS It,
Not less celebrated Is the bacillus syn
cyanus, to which is due the appearance Of
blue milk. On the surface are seen blue
spots, which spread in the cream as it rises;
the butter made with it Is greeniSh and has
crobe is killed by a temperature Of 140 de-
grees F., and it Is harmless to men or ami
mails. ..s...
.sxcMany Color Bacillus.
The baofllus polychromogenes deserves
notice from its property. discovered by Mace
and Thirty, Of easily producing. at the ordi-
nary temperature. without special chemical
or physical action, various colors. On it's
usual media it gives, but with unequal fire.
quency. blue. violet. red. green. yellow and
various spectral shades. Besides these, on
solid media are often seen masses Of crys-
talline formations Of beautiful indigo blue.
1t is found In the water Of wells and
condutts. y
"A yellow bacillus Is frequently met with
in the air. : Another sometimes ap-
pears in boiled milk, to which it communi
Gates It's color. All these species belong to
the genus bacillus which is characterized by
rod-like forms.