CLASSIFICATION OF ANAEROBIC BACTERIA 527 



diplococci,, three micrococci, and four staphylococci, one of these 

 latter appearing at times as a streptococcus or as a micrococcus. 

 Anaerobic streptococci are, according to Hiissy and Bondy, 

 normally human saprophytes which may become parasitic. 

 They are commonly found in cases of puerperal endometritis, 

 according to these authors and according to Schottmiiller. 

 A damson isolated anaerobic diplococci from eighteen out of 

 fifty-one wounds. Sternberg has described an anaerobic strepto- 

 coccus. Anaerobic cocci have been found in the blood of scarlet- 

 fever patients by Dick and Henry and in that of measles patients 

 by Tsunnicliff. Beijerinck (1906) finds a sarcina in soil that is 

 a fermenting anaerobe. Winslow and Winslow did not find 

 the arrangement of the cells of the cocci a good basis for classi- 

 fication. About half the anaerobic cocci produce gas in sugar 

 media. Probably nothing can be decided as to the real affinities 

 of these anaerobic cocci until the chemical behavior of some of 

 them has been studied by one worker and has been compared 

 with that of the anaerobic rods. A morphological basis, when 

 one considers the varied types of anaerobic cocci, would cer- 

 tainly lead one to conclude that anaerobiosis had been inde- 

 pendently acquired by certain strains of the various types. 

 Here, as in many cases, morphological and chemical criteria 

 flatly contradict each other. But form of cell (sphere, rod, or 

 spiral) is certainly to be recognized as a much more fundamental 

 character than is the arrangement of cells. Nevertheless, Alm- 

 quist found that bacilli may grow as spheres at low temperatures. 

 Yet it would seem that the anaerobic cocci do resemble other 

 cocci in their chemical behavior more than they do the anaerobic 

 rods (see Adamson, 1918-19, p. 394). So for the present it is 

 advisable to exclude them from an anaerobic group which con- 

 tains rods. The chemical study of the anaerobic cocci should 

 be more extensive before they can be placed anywhere. 



Motility. The possession of flagella was used as a primary 

 character for classification by Migula, spore-formation being 

 given a secondary place. Chester followed Migula in crediting 

 importance to this character; but other workers have nof done 

 so. The Committee (1920, p. 516) state: "The prominent place 



