Waksman — 12 — Actinomycetes 



Several of the systems for classifying the true actinomycetes may be 

 listed as follows: 



A. Classification of Schahad (1904): 



I. Non-acid-fast types, liquefying gelatin, producing granules in lesions, with 

 typical swelling of hyphae A. typica. 



II. Acid-fast types, not producing granules in lesions, without typical swell- 

 ings of lesions A. atypica. 



1. Gelatin liquefied A. atypica simplex. 



a A. alba. 



b A. flava. 



2. Gelatin not liquefied A. atypica psetido-ttiherciilosa. 



B. Classification of Krainsky (1914): 



1. Large colonies (3-5 mm.) produced on solid media; aerial mycelium 

 typically pigmented; oval spores Macroactiriomyces. 



2. Small colonies (<3 mm.) produced on solid media; pigmented aerial 



mycelium; spherical spores Microactinomyces. 



This system has been applied only to the saprophytic aerobic forms. 



C. Classification of Chalmers and Christopher son (1916): 



I. Granules black, noncultivable forms 



Actinomyces of Babes and Mironescu. 

 II. Granules white, yellow, orange, or red: 



1. Cultivated with difficulty, anaerobic types, no arthrospores; granules 

 in masses Cohnistreptothrix. 



a. Granules yellow C. israeli. 



b. Granules very small, white C. thihiergi. 



2. Cultivated easily, aerobic types, arthrospores produced. . . . Nocardia. 



a. Clubs present N. hovis. 



b. No clubs produced: 



a\ Granules surrounded by a hard shell N. somaliensis. 



V. Granules without shell: 



a^. No growth on gelatin N. krattsei. 



b". Growth on gelatin: 



a^. Serum coagulated, liquefied: 



a\ Pathogenic to laboratory animals N. garteni. 



h\ Nonpathogenic to laboratory animals: 



a\ Gelatin liquefied N. liquefaciens. 



V\ Gelatin not liquefied N. convohitus. 



v. Serum not liquefied: 



a". Culture yellow orange to red N. astewides. 



h\ Culture white, then red N. indica. 



This system was based entirely upon pathogenic forms. 



D. Classification of Waksman I. (1919): 



This system, like the previous one, was based largely upon the cultural char- 

 acters of the organisms, embracing, however, mostly soil forms. Whereas 

 the previous system (C) comprised the forms listed here under genera 



