FAMILY VIII. NEISSERIACEAE 



487 



Occasionally pathogenic, invading the tis- 

 sues, causing suppurations either alone or in 

 association with other pyogenic organisms. 

 Habitat: Found normally as a harmless 

 parasite in the natural cavities, especially 

 the mouths and digestive tracts, of man and 

 other animals. 



la. Veillonella parvida var. minima Pr6- 

 vot, 1933. {Staphylococcus minimus Gioelli, 

 Boll. R. Accad. Med. di Genova, 1907; abst. 

 in Cent. f. Bakt., I Abt., Ref., 4^, 1908-09, 

 595; Prevot, Ann. Sci. Nat., Ser. Bot., 15, 

 1933, 125.) 



mi'ni.ma. L. sup. adj. minimus smallest. 



Differs from Veillonella parvula only in 

 that it is slightly smaller in size (0.2 to 0.3 

 micron). Growth only at 37° C. No growth 

 on gelatin. Growth on the wall of the cul- 

 ture tube in fine flakes, not clouding the 

 medium. No plasmolysis in a 5 per cent salt 

 solution. 



Source: Isolated from a periuterine ab- 

 scess. 



lb. Veillonella parvula var. hranhamii 

 Prevot, 1933. (Anaerobic micrococcus, Bran- 

 ham, Jour. Inf. Dis., U, 1927, 203; also see 

 ibid., 4^, 1928, 230; Micrococcus hranhamii 

 Bergey et al., Manual, 3rd ed., 1930, 92; 

 Prevot, Ann. Sci. Nat., Ser. Bot., 15, 1933, 

 126.) 



bran.ham'i.i. M.L. gen. noun hranhamii 

 of Branham; named for Dr. Sara E. Bran- 

 ham, an American bacteriologist who has 

 made a special study of these organisms. 



Serologically distinct from Veillonella 

 parvula. Gelatin slowly liquefied by one 

 strain. 



Source: Isolated from nasal washings in 

 two cases of influenza. 



Ic. Veillonella parvula var. thomsonii 

 Prevot, 1933. (Anaerobic diplococcus, Thom- 

 son, Jour. Trop. Med. and Hyg., 26, 1923, 

 227; also see Ann. Pickett-Thomson Res. 

 Lab., /, 1924-25, 105 and 164; Prevot, Ann. 

 Sci. Nat., Ser. Bot., 15, 1933, 126.) 



thorn. so'ni.i. M.L. gen. noun thomsonii 

 of Thomson; named for Dr. David Thomson 

 of London, England, the first to isolate this 

 variety. 



Differs but slightly from Veillonella par- 

 vula in that it requires some accessory 

 growth factor found in serum or other 

 body fluids or tissues. 



Source: Isolated from the throats of per- 

 sons with measles or scarlet fever. 



2. Veillonella alcalescens* Prevot, 



1933. {Micrococcus gazogenes alcalescens 

 anaerohius Lewkowicz, Arch. M^d. Expt., 

 13, 1901, 633; Micrococcus gazogenes Hall and 

 Howitt, Jour. Inf. Dis., 37, 1925, 112; not 

 Micrococcus gazogenes Choukevitch, Ann. 

 Inst. Past., 25, 1911, 350; Prevot, Ann. Sci. 

 Nat., S^r. Bot., 15, 1933, 127; Veillonella 

 gazogenes Murray in. Manual, 5th ed., 1939, 

 287.) 



al.ca.les'cens. M.L. v. alcalesco to make 

 alkaline; M.L. part. adj. alcalescens alkaline- 

 making. 



Spheres, 0.3 to 0.7, averaging 0.4, micron 

 in diameter, occurring in irregular masses, 

 in pairs, in short chains or singly. Gram- 

 negative. 



Gelatin: No liquefaction. 



Agar deep colonies: At first punctiform, 

 becoming lenticular. Gas bubbles appear 

 after 16 to 18 hours. 



Blood agar colonies: Minute. Several 

 strains produce a greenish pigment. No 

 hemolysis. 



Peptone broth: Gas produced. Broth be- 

 comes slightly alkaline. 



Milk: Gas but no acid. No coagulation. 



Indole not produced. 



Hydrogen sulfide not produced. 



Egg white and coagulated seriim not at- 

 tacked. 



Carbohj^drates not attacked. 



Nitrites not produced from nitrates. 



Ammonia and hj-drogen produced in 

 small amounts. 



Strictly anaerobic. 



* Under the present International Bacteriological Code of Nomenclature, the specific 

 epithet alcalescens is the correct epithet for this species. The epithet gazogenes cannot be 

 reestablished on the transfer to a new genus {Veillonella) as it was illegitimate when it was 

 first proposed by Hall and Howitt. 



