254 THE UNIVERSITY SCIENCE BULLETIN. 



words, no relationship was apparent or suggested between these 

 pleomorphic streptococci and B. diphtheria and Streptococcus 

 pyogenes as suggested by Gordon. It might well be that a re- 

 lationship could exist and the complement fixation test be unre- 

 liable. Meyer, 1^ Aronson,-° Kemer,-i while not working with 

 complement fixation test, decided that immune sera gave variable 

 results and were not consistent. Some recent work on the strep- 

 tococcus group in press is quite desirable. The complement fixa- 

 tion test has not been a uniform and decided success as a means 

 of differentiation, but nevertheless is of great value in many in- 

 stances. 



Since this paper was finished two papers by Mellon on the 

 diphtheroid group of organisms have appeared. He reports upon 

 a pleomorphic organism isolated from the lungs which shows all 

 variations from bacillary form, to a streptococcus form. In mor- 

 phology and many cultural reactions his diphtheroid is similar to 

 the pleomorphic streptococcus I have been working with. Both 

 are pleomorphic. Gram-positive, nonmotile organisms giving a 

 clear broth with heavy sediment, coagulate milk, produce acid in 

 dextrose, lactose, sucrose. The diphtheroid organism produced 

 acid in salicin and inulin, whereas the pleomorphic streptococcus 

 I am reporting on failed to do so. Mellon states that in broth 

 cultures at one stage of development there are numerous bipolar 

 bacilli with large granules. From this I presume that metachro- 

 matic granules were observed. I did not observe these occurring 

 in the pleomorphic streptococcus studied. Doctor Mellon has 

 placed his organism among the diphtheroids because of immuno- 

 logical, cultural and morphological reasons ; however, he says that 

 "unless great care is used in handling the recently recovered 

 bacillary form, it will almost immediately revert to the diplococcus 

 form when transplanted even to solid media. " His experimental 

 work and mine, made in attempts to control the pleomorphism, 

 give largely negative results. 



I should say that we were both working with closely related 

 if not identical organisms. In his papers he suggests the immu- 

 nological relationship between his organism and the group of diph- 

 theroids, of B. diphtheria and the streptococci. As a result of 

 complement fixation work, I found no relationship between the 

 pleomorphic organisms I was studying and B. diphtheria or Strep- 

 tococcus pyogenes. 



