242 GENERAL SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY 



as including anaerobic bacteria with peritrichous flagella, producing 

 an exotoxin which exerts specific action upon the central nervous 

 system. The species do not attack lactose. The organism causing 

 botulism and tetanus belong here. Probably Botulohadllus botulinus 

 Orla-Jensen may be regarded as the type. 



The genus name must yield priority to Clostridium and Plectridium, 

 and is probably to be regarded as invaUd, unless the type species is to 

 be separated. 



Brachybacterium. A generic name used by Troili-Petersson (1903, 

 p. 138) to include certain lactic acid bacteria. The organisms are sep- 

 arated into two genera, Bacterium and Brachybacterium. The diagnosis 

 of the latter genus is: "Short, oval or ellipsoidal rods whose length is 

 not more than double their width, round forms are present in addition 

 to the rods." In Bacterium, on the other hand, the rods are in length 

 more than double their width. 



Nine species of Brachybacterium are described. Most of them are 

 designated by number only. No. 22 is the Bacterium lactis acidi 

 of Leichmann or Bact. lactis of Lister. One species, No. 26 is named 

 Brachybacterium apiculatum. 



It is possible that this genus should be reduced to a synonym of 

 Lactobacillus (q.v.), or of Streptococcus (g.v.). Apparently no type 

 species has been designated. 



Brachybacterien. A term used by Troili-Petersson according to 

 Lohnis (Handbuch, p. 198). 



Brucella. A generic name proposed by Meyer and Shaw (1920, p. 

 176) for the causal organisms of Malta fever and infectious abortion. 

 They state, 



On morphologic grounds the organisms of undulant fever and of infectious 

 abortion of domesticated animals must therefore be considered as identical and 

 must be placed together in the genus Bacterium. For reasons to be given in detail 

 in the second paper it is proposed in accordance with the suggestions made by 

 Buchanan (1918, p. 8) of the Committee on Classifications of the Society of Ameri- 

 can Bacteriologists that a genus, for which we propose the name "Brucella" 

 be created in the family Bacteriaceae to separate and to distinguish properly 

 these important pathogenic microorganisms from the other members of the recog- 

 nized genus Bacterium which is already overburdened with representatives, which 

 have little in common with the B. melitensis and B. abortus. 



Evans (1923, p. 1944) discussed in detail the generic designation of 

 the group. She says: 



