INTRODUCTORY I44-3 



of pathological effects; the serological requirements of an organism 

 when used as a means of characterization. 



It is clear from such a statement that Pure Culture Study of Bac- 

 teria is fairly comprehensive, but that there are many fields of bac- 

 teriological technic not included within it, e.g. : methods for the enu- 

 meration of bacteria in their natural habitats; the diagnosis of disease, 

 and many other phases of pathological bacteriology; methods em- 

 ployed in the study of food spoilage and controlling the processes of 

 fermentation, etc. Such a list might be extended almost indefinitely; 

 for the field of pure culture study, although fairly broad, is actually 

 merely a small part of bacteriological technic. 



Relation to Taxonomy 



Clearly, one of the main objects of pure culture study is to deter- 

 mine the identity of any bacterial culture under investigation. This 

 brings the subject very close to the field of bacterial taxonomy — i.e., 

 the naming and classifying of bacteria. Inasmuch as bacteria cannot 

 be classified without studying their characteristics in pure culture, it 

 is an obvious conclusion that pure culture study is a necessary prelude 

 to bacterial taxonomy. 



It must be recognized, nevertheless, that one can consider pure 

 culture study without regard to taxonomy and that one can study the 

 taxonomy of bacteria without paying special attention to the methods 

 of pure culture study. Since this distinction can be made and the 

 committee editing this series of publications is a Committee on 

 Technic, care has always been taken to maintain the distinction so as 

 not to interfere with the functions of other committees that have been 

 appointed to deal with matters of nomenclature and classification. 

 It should be remarked, however, that this distinction was not always 

 observed in the past, as a result of which the original committee, 

 from which the present Committee on Technic has descended, was 

 called the Committee on the Identification of Bacterial Species. 

 Thus considered, it was really a committee on one phase of taxonomy. 

 Early in its history, however, it began centering its interests on the 

 technic involved, and about twenty years ago it seemed wise to 

 change its name to the Committee on Bacteriological Technic. 



Publications of the Committee on Technic 



Descriptive Charts: The first descriptive chart actually adopted by 

 the Society of American Bacteriologists was in 1907. The history 

 of these early developments is given in Leaflet I of the Manual of 

 Methods for Pure Culture Study of Bacteria and hardly needs 



