14 E. M. MEYER 



been isolated from but one of these sources — the water supply 

 of Newport, Kentucky. Up to date it has been obtained from 

 the samples collected on the following eight days: January 30, 

 February 8, 10 and 26, March 31, and April 2, 11, and 20, 1917. 

 Newport, Kentucky, uses Ohio River water after subjecting it 

 to treatment and storage. Treatment consists of addition of 

 small amounts of calcium hypochlorite, and of lime and iron, 

 and the total storage is estimated at twenty days. 



This organism during the times of its occurrence might cause 

 considerable error in the determination of the colon index. Dur- 

 ing the months of January to April, 1917, inclusive, of 40 aero- 

 bic gas formers isolated from 91 samples of Newport tap water, 

 32 or 80 per cent were of the coli-aerogenes group while 8 or 

 20 per cent were this spore-former. Due to its rarity and limited 

 occurrence, however, it could not constitute a source of appreci- 

 able error in routine water examinations in most localities. 

 Over 17,000 samples have been examined at this station within 

 the past three years, and this spore-former has been isolated 

 but eight times and, as detailed above, from but one source. 

 Other water workers have never reported its occurrence, and it 

 is likely that in most waters it is exceedingly rare, if not entirely 

 absent. 



SUMMARY 



An aerobic bacillus, giving gas from lactose, and demonstrated 

 to be spore-forming, has been isolated eight times between Janu- 

 ary 30 and April 20, 1917, from the tap water of Newport, Ken- 

 tucky. This organism is believed to be a species whose isola- 

 tion has never before been described. 



The writer wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to Surgeon 

 W. H. Frost, under whose direction this study has been made. 



