Chemical Factors Influencing the Growth of Tubercle Bacilli: I. Metal Catalysts.

This investigation deals with the effects of cupric, manganous, ferric, and antimonate ions; extracts of calves' lungs, calves' hearts, and chicken livers; and of diphenylamine and other organic compounds; on the growth of H37, a human strain of tubercle bacilli. It was carried out at the suggestion of Dr. Kharasch, who, with his co-workers (Kharasch, Conway and Bloom, 1936), had studied the effects of the metal ions of copper, iron, and manganese as well as other compounds and had observed the response of the organisms in question toward these reagents. To permit the greatest possible control of the factors involved, the bacilli were grown on Long's synthetic medium, (Long and Seibert, 1926) from which the ferric ammonium citrate was omitted. Long's medium is prepared by autoclaving a solution of the following in one liter of distilled water: