1. The use of sodium glutamate as a medium for freeze-drying Lact. bifidus significantly enhanced the stability of the dried product, especially the heat stability.2. The optimal concentration of sodium glutamate, as a drying medium, was found to depend on the bacilliary concentration; the higher the concentration of the bacilliary suspension used the higher was found to be the optimal concentration of the sodium glutamate.3. It was possible to classify various drying media according to the degree of sublimation of the product during the process of freeze-drying. Two types were observed; in the first, which included sodium glutamate and glucose, the sublimation rate diminished with the increasing concentration of the medium, whereas in the second group, which included polyvinyl pyrrolidon K 90 (PVP), soluble starch and dextran, no such diminution was observed when the concentration of the medium was increased.4. By the combination of sodium glutamate or glucose with a medium belonging to the second group sublimation was found to be promoted.5. The stabifity-conferring effect of sodium glutamate on dried Lact. bifidus was markedly enhanced when the glutamate was combined with a drying medium belonging to the second group. This effect is attributed to a desiccation-promoting property of the latter medium.6. Lact. bifidus as a freeze-dried preparation showed a somewhat better survival rate when sealed in air than when sealed in vacuo. In the case of other anaerobic organisms tested there was no significant difference in the survival rates under the two methods of storage.