JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE
SOCIETY OF AMERICAN BACTERIOLOGISTS

Editor-in-Chief Editorial Office
JaMES M. SHERMAN Cornell University Press
Cornell University November 8, 1949 Ithaca, New York

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
Devartment of Genetics

The University of Wisconsin
Madison 6, Wisconsin

Dear Doctor Lederberg:

Your interesting paper has been accepted and will be scheduled
for the February issue of the Journal.

In order that you may not feel slighted by thinking that your
paper is only of interest to me and has not been passed upon
by an “outstanding authority," I will add that it has also
been reviewed by a competent geneticist who approved it with-
out making any suggestions or criticisms.

There is one comment, though not a criticism, that I will make.
Your use of the word "prototroph" in the footnote to your table
is of course absolutely proper and correct so far as the English
language and meaning of words are concerned, especially since
you specifically define it. It does nevertheless grate the

ears of an older bacteriologist, but I hasten to add that it is
probably a very good thing for us old-timers to have our ears
pinned back fairly frequently. As you probably know, in the
narrow technical jargon of the bacteriologist, the word
"“prototrophic" was used synonymously with the word "autotrophic"
for about half a century. However, in more recent years the
term "autotrophic" has been the preferred term for the chemo-
synthetic bacteria.

With all best wishes,

Sincerely yours,

) Pe F

Pf po ys

J. M. Sherman

JMS :rh