BY R. GREIG SMITH. 129 



are to be seen in the polar germination of the spores and the 

 pathogenicity. The method of germination distinguishes it from 

 the members of the Bac. subtilis and the Bac. vulyatus groups, 

 and from the thermophile bacteria. The rosette-like folded 

 appearance of the gelatine surface colonies closely resembles that 

 figured by Winkler as Tyrothrix dis tortus (Centralblatt fur Bakt. 

 2 Abt. i. 609), but differences occur in the gelatine stab, the agar 

 stroke, and potato culture, as well as in the method of germination 

 of tli^ spores. The uniform breadth of the sporulated rods shows 

 that it is not a Clostridium, the members of which group are 

 chiefly anaerobes. The aerobic character marks it off from the 

 Bac. cedematis group. There remains the anthrax group, which 

 consists of spore-forming bacteria. They are frequently united 

 to form threads, and are stained by Gram's method of staining. 

 The distinguishing feature of this group is the polar germination 

 of the spores as contrasted with the equatorial germination of 

 the closely allied subtilis-vulgatus group. The organism differs 

 markedly from Bac. anthracis in shape, motility and growth; 

 from Bac. anthracoides in motility; and from Bac. pseudanihracis 

 in agar culture. The size, the colour of the liquefied gelatine, 

 and the reaction towards blood serum show that it is not Bac. 

 apicum, to which is closely allied the eel-disease bacillus of 

 Canestrini and the poisonous fish bacillus of Fischel and Enoch. 

 The separation of the capsule from the germinated rod differen- 

 tiates it from Bac. sessilis and Bac. leptosporus. Burchard* has 

 published diagrams of the germination of 20 species of bacilli, 

 only one of which —viz., Bac. bipolaris — bears any likeness to the 

 organism. The cultural characteristics generally are different from 

 those which I have described. The organism, therefore, appears 

 to be a new species, and T propose for it the name Bacillus 

 piscicidus bipolaris, a title which indicates the pathogenicity and 

 the bipolar germination of the spores. 



The bacteria which have been recorded as being pathogenic to 

 fish are few in number. Emmerich and Weibel have described a 



*. Arbeiten, Bact. Instit. Hochschule, Karlsruhe, ii., 1. 

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