Abstract

CONTENT ALERTS Receive: RSS Feeds, eTOCs, free email alerts (when new articles cite this article), more» Information about commercial reprint orders: http://jb.asm.org/site/misc/reprints.xhtml To subscribe to to another ASM Journal go to: http://journals.asm.org/site/subscriptions/ R. F. SHROPSHIltE Research Division, Raytheont Manufacturing Companty, Walthamti, MIassachusetts Received for publication MIay 2, 1947 When a suspension of dispersed bacteria is subjected to intense sonic energy, sufficient to cause cellular rupture, there is a progressive decrease in the turbidity of the liquid with continued time of exposure. This change in turbidity can be used as a method of following the cellular disruption in that, when the proper wave length of light is employed, there is a direct relationship between the concentration of organisms and the absorption coefficient, or the transmittancy. This relationship is valid if the organisms are well dispersed. When they exist in aggregates, the extent of the reduction of the light passing through the liquid in wNhich they are suspended will be somewhat less than if the same number of individuals wN-ere uniformly dispersed throughout the suspending medium. In connection wtith some exploratory work, which wvas being done on the effect of sonic energy on various bacteria, in which a turbidimetric method