572 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



subsequently becoming clear and depositing a sediment. It was not 

 pathogenic to guinea-pigs. The investigations also showed that this 

 microbe could live in symbiosis with B. coli i and that, though originally 

 isolated by means of acid bouillon, it grew better on alkaline than on 

 acid media. Hence the term acidophilus is hardly correct. 



Differential Diagnosis of certain Anaerobes.* — Dr. E. Klein gives 

 the following differential points for discriminating between Bacillus 

 butyricus, B. enter itidis sporogenes, B. cadaveris sporogenes, and B. 

 mucosus. 



B. butyricus. (1) A cylindrical rodlet averaging from 2 - 5-3'5/a in 

 lengtb and 0*8-1 '25 /jl in breadth ; stains well by Gram's method. (2) 

 Tiie spores are oval, 1*6 /x, long and 1 jx broad, and are stainable by the 

 usual methods. (3) On gelatin it forms spherical colonies with fila- 

 mentous processes ; the medium is not liquefied ; produces gas. (4) 

 On agar the colonies are grey, round, and flat ; no spores and much gas. 



(5) Milk is rapidly coagulated with acid reaction and marked odour of 

 butyric acid ; no spores and much gas. (6) It grows well on blood- 

 serum, which is slowly liquefied. (7) It is not pathogenic. 



Bacillus enteritidis sporogenes. The characters of rodlet and spore 

 are the same as for B. butyricus. (3) It slowly liquefies gelatin and 

 forms gas. (4) On agar the colonies are round, and later become 

 slightly indented ; much gas and no spores. (5) Same as B. butyricus. 



(6) Blood serum is slowly liquefied. (7) Virulent. 



Bacillus cadaveris sporogenes. (1) Cylindrical and filiform rodlets, 

 very motile, and staining' by Gram's method. (2) Spores are unipolar, 

 oval, 1 • 6 /a X 1 [*.. (3) Gelatin is quickly liquefied, with disagreeable 

 odour and much gas. (4) On agar the colonies have numerous out- 

 growths ; much gas and many spores. (5) Milk is slowly decomposed 

 with offensive odour ; much gas and many spores are formed. (6) Blood- 

 serum is rapidly liquefied, with offensive odour and rapid formation of 

 spores. (1) Not pathogenic. 



Bacillus mucosus. (1) Cylindrical and filiform bacilli, 5-6 \x long, 

 which do not stain by Gram's method. (2) Spores oval, 2 • 2 /x X 1 ' 3 /a, 

 central. (3) Grows only on sugar-gelatin, which is slowly liquefied ; 

 spore formation. (4) On agar-agar thin surface growth with flakes in 

 the condensation water; much gas; spore formation. (5) Milk is co- 

 agulated with acid reaction ; spore formation. (6) Does not grow on 

 blood-serum. (7) Not pathogenic. 



Acid-fast Tubercledike Schizomycetes.f — Dr. Holscher communi- 

 cates the results of experiments made with three kinds of acid-fast 

 bacteria: the butter bacillus Petri-Rabinowitsch, the grass bacillus, 

 and the Timothy-grass bacillus Moeller. The chief differences were 

 found to be that culturally the pseudo-bacilli were distinguished from 

 true tubercle bacilli by their growth at lower temperatures, and by their 

 pigment formation. When taken directly from the animal body, their 

 cultivation is easy and the growth luxuriant, while tubercle bacilli 

 develop with difficulty, and the growth is scanty. While the pseudo- 

 bacilli are pathogenic to animals, they do not give rise to tuberculosis, 



* Centralbl. Bakt., 1" Abt., xxix. (1901) pp. 991-4. 

 f Tom. cit, pp. 425-8. 



