462 GENERAL SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY 



Five species are included, one Schuetzia equi (Sand et Jensen) Trevi- 

 san, is the organism commonly known as Streptococcus equi, the cause 

 of equine "strangles." 



The first species listed by De Toni and Trevisan (1889, p. 1052) 

 is Schuetzia Lagerheimii (Ludwig) Trevisan. Probably Sch. equi may 

 be considered the type. Its exact nomenclatural status is uncertain. 



Sclerothrix. This name was apparently first used by Kuetzing 

 (A.g. Aq. dulc Dec. 11) for one of the blue green algae under the desig- 

 nation Sclerothrix Callitrichae. Later Kuetzing (1849, p. 319) gave 

 the following generic description: "Trichomata vaginata subramosa 

 radiatim congesta, aequilonga, in cespitem globosum coalita, (Para- 

 siticae palustres.)" This author had previously described this alga 

 (1843, p. 229) as Hypheothrix Callitrichae. 



Metschnikoff (1888, p. 70) proposed this as a generic name for or- 

 ganisms resembling the tubercle bacillus. He states that this organism 

 in its perfect state may grow into short threads, and also differs from 

 other forms except the leprosy bacillus, in the possession of a dense 

 envelop. The name Sclerothrix Kochii was proposed for the organism 

 causing tuberculosis. 



This genus was regarded as a synonym of Bacillus by De Toni and 

 Trevisan (1889). The name is rejected by Lehmann and Neumann 

 in the following statement: 



Since we proposed this name (Mycobacterium) in the first edition, we have seen 

 that Metschnikoff (Virchow's Archiv., 113, p. 70, 1888), who first recognized 

 the peculiar position of the tubercle bacillus as opposed to the other then known 

 bacteria, in a work "Regarding the Phagocytic Role of the Tubercular Giant 

 Cell," has said: "If one considers that in the perfected stage the tubercle bacteria 

 have grown into (although short) threads, and also differ from other analogous 

 forms (except the lepra bacteria) in the possession of a very dense envelope, 

 then perhaps it will be easier to accept the designation Sclerothrix for the genus, 

 and Sclerothrix Kochii for the species of the tubercle bacterium." We should 

 have immediately accepted these names if we had known of them, but believe that 

 according to the rules of botanical nomenclature our names should now stand, 

 since Metschnikoff only made a conditional proposal, did not accurately define his 

 new genus, and never made any use of the new name himself, while we have our- 

 selves already established a name. 



This is also rejected by Erwin F. Smith (1905, p. 174). 



Schlerothrix has been proposed by Vuillemin (1913, p. 527) as a 

 "Genus conservandum of the Microsiphones with Sclerothrix tuber- 

 culosis Metschnikoff as the type." 



