The species of organisms used were B. coli, B. typhosus and B. enteritidis Gaertner. With these organisms:
(1) When a fresh broth culture is made with a small inoculation there is a period during which there is no increase in the number of bacteria present.
(2) When this period is over the bacteria commence to divide regularly; this is shown by the fact that the logarithms of the numbers plotted against time are found to fall on a straight line. This regular growth persists until (or nearly until) a maximum has been reached, after which the numbers remain more or less constant and then slowly decline.
The time necessary for a complete division to take place (generation time) was determined for various temperatures between 20°C. and 42°C.
(3) The effect of temperatures between 20° and 35.3°C. upon the rate of multiplication is in accordance with the Arrhenius-Van 't Hoff law; above this temperature the effect diminishes.