242 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



in detail. Bad. coloides virescens is about 1-2 /x long and • 4 \x broad ; is 

 flagellated and motile ; is easily stained, but not by Gram's method. It 

 is an aerobe, but is potentially anaerobic. It grows on the usual media 

 and also in Uschinski's solution. The colour of the growth is mostly 

 whitish on solid media, but on potato yellowish. The cultures exhale 

 an aromatic odour. It forms gas and acid in saccharated media. Milk 

 is coagulated and acidulated. It does not form iudol ; it produces H 2 S, 

 and is pathogenic to mice and guinea-pigs. 



Bad. coloides rubescens is 1-2 ■ 5 /x long by • 4 //, broad. Its mor- 

 phological and cultural characters are much the same as those of the 

 preceding. It does not, however, ferment cane-sugar, and forms indol 

 freely and also H 2 S. It is not pathogenic to mice, but guinea-pigs die 

 after twenty-one days. 



Bad. vesicae is 0'5-l /x long by 0-3-4 fx. broad; isodiametric ele- 

 ments frequent. It is flagellated and motile ; is easily stained and also 

 by Gram's method. It is aerobic, but potentially anaerobic. Growth on 

 culture media is whitish, except on potato, where it becomes brownish- 

 yellow. Cultures exhale a disagreeable odour. It does not ferment 

 saccharated media. It forms indol and H 2 S. It is not pathogenic to 

 mice, but " pigs " [guinea-pigs] die in about twenty -one days. 



Bad. fsecale alcaligenes is 1-3 fx long by - 5-0 - 8 /x broad. It is 

 flagellated and motile. Is easily stained, but not by Gram's method. It 

 is an aerobe, but is also to some extent anaerobic. The growth is mostly 

 whitish, but on potato yellowish-brown. The cultures exhale a disagree- 

 able odour. Lactose bouillon is not fermented, but cane and grape-sugar 

 bouillons are. Milk is not coagulated, and its reaction is alkaline. It 

 does not form indol, but produces H 2 S. It is pathogenic to mice and 

 guinea-pigs. 



In all four bacteria the gelatin-plate colonies, when inspected under 

 a low power, are seen to be reticulated and ribbed like a leaf. The 

 appearances of these dictyodrome colonies of B. vesicae and B. fsecale ale. 

 are well shown in the illustrations. 



New Spore-bearing Bacillus.* — Mr. F. P. Denny has isolated from 

 sputum a polymorphic bacterium, the measurements of which in bouillon 

 cultures are 3-5 fx in length and 1 • 2 fx in breadth. In other media it 

 is considerably smaller. It grows in chains, singly and in pairs. It is 

 easily stained by the ordinary anilin dyes, and also by Gram's method. 

 It has numerous flagella, and forms centrally placed spores which, wheu 

 fully developed, measure 3-4 fx in diameter. It is actively motile. It 

 liquefies gelatin. It is aerobic, and grows well in and on the usual 

 media. It forms acid and coagulates milk, the clot of which is subse- 

 quently slowly digested. It is not pathogenic to rabbits or guinea-pigs, 

 though the serum of these animals gives a well-marked clump reaction. 



New Pleomorphic Bacterium. j — Herr Hashimoto describes a micro- 

 organism, under the name Bacterium, FraenTtelii, which was found < n 

 a badly sterilised agar plate. On simple or sugar serum it is a small 

 motile flagellated rodlet. In bouillon it grows as motionless spherules 



• Journ. Boston Soc. Med. Sci., iii. (1899) pp. 308-12 (5 figs.). 

 t Zeitsclir. f. Hyg. u. Infekts., xxxi. part 1. See Centralis. Bakt. u. Par., 

 2* Abt., v. (1899) pp. 777-8. 



