174 PRINCIPLES OF SOIL MICROBIOLOGY 



(b) Bac. oedematis maligni Koch (Vibrion septique Pasteur), found 



in the intestines of man and in the soil. 60 



(c) Bac. putrificus Bienstock, a motile, flagellated bacillus, forms 



terminal oval spores and has weak saccharolytic and strong 

 proteolytic properties. Milk is gradually digested, without 

 rapid coagulation (No. 45, Pi. IX). 



(d) Bac. histolyticus Weinberg and Seguin, 3.0 to 5.0 by 0.5 to 0.7/u, 



occurring singly or in pairs, motile by peritrichous flagella; 

 spores oval excentric. This organism has been isolated from 

 the soil by Peterson and Hall. 61 



(e) Bac. botulinus van Ermengem, large rods with rounded ends; 



oval, subterminal spores. The natural habitat of this 

 organism has been found in virgin and cultivated soils, 

 mountain and forest soils, 62-64 throughout the world. 

 2. Weakly proteolytic organisms: 



(a) Bac. bijermentans Tissier and Martelly, non-motile bacillus, with 



large central, oblong to oval spores. 



(b) Bac. telani Nicolaier; 4 to 8 by 0.4 to 0.6/x," motile by means of 



peritrichic flagella; unable to utilize carbohydrates, intro- 

 duced into the soil with the manure. 65 Its occurrence in the 

 soil has been demonstrated 64,66 in many of the samples 

 examined. 



Various other anaerobic bacteria which are weakly pro- 

 teolytic, but are capable of attacking different carbohydrates, 

 with the formation of gas have been isolated either directly 

 from the soil or from other sources, which may indicate a soil 

 habitat, such as Bac. chauvoei. A detailed study of the 

 various anaerobic bacteria, including Bac. sporogenes, Bac. 

 histolyticus and others, secured from wound infections and 



60 Gt. Britain National Health Ins. Joint Comm., Medical Research Com- 

 mittee. Special Reports, Series No. 39. Reports of the Committee upon anae- 

 robic bacteria and infections. 1919. 



61 Peterson, E. C, and Hall, I. C. The isolation of Bacillus histolyticus from 

 soil in California. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 20: 502-503. 1923. 



62 Tanner, F. W., and Dack, G. M. Clostridium botulinum. Jour. Inf. Dis. 

 31: 92-100. 1922. 



63 Dubovsky, B. J., and Meyer, K. F. An experimental study of the methods 

 available for the enrichment, demonstration of B. botulinus in specimens of soil, 

 etc. Jour. Inf. Dis. 31: 501-540, 541-555, 556-558, 559-594, 595-599, 600-609, 

 610-613. 1922. 



64 Hall, I. C, and Peterson, E. C. The detection of Bacillus botulinus and 

 Bacillus tetani in soil samples by the constricted tube method. Jour. Bact. 9: 

 201-209. 1924. 



66 Noble, W. Experimental study of the distribution and habitat of the tet- 

 anus bacillus. Jour. Inf. Dis. 16: 132-141. 1915. 



66 Dubovsky, S. J., and Meyer, K. F. The occurrence of B. tetani in soil 

 and on vegetables. Jour. Inf. Dis. 31: 614-616. 1922. 



