68 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



noted after 24 hours. The sHminess disappeared in 23/^ days, 

 but in many instances the "rim" which had appeared on the 

 surface retained this property for a longer time. 



Glucose. Lactose. Saccharose. Maltose. Mannite. Dulcite. Adonit. 



+ + ++ ++ ++ ++ +± + + 



Sorbite. Raffinosc. Arabinose. Xylose. Salicin. Aesculin. 



+ + ++ ++ ++ ++ + + 



Glycerin. Dextrine. Inulin. Staich. 



+ + ++ ++ + + 



+ = Acid. 

 + + = Acid and ij'as. 



The organism here described would legitimately be classified 

 as a variety of B. œrogenes (Escherich).^ The reaction to the Voges 

 Proskauer test is at variance with the classification of the B. œrogenes 

 group by MacConkey.^ According to the classification of the colon- 

 arogenes group by Jackson**, later adopted by the American Public 

 Health Association\ the organism there described as B. œrogenes 

 Var. A.i is viscous on agar and is indol positive; the strain I have 

 isolated agrees with Var.A.i in many respects, but is indol negative. 



Another strain is' described by Jackson-^, œrogenes (Var.B.i) 

 as probably the most common variety of the B. œrogenes group; Viscous 

 growth on agar is noted, the strain is non-motile and gram negative; 

 Jackson's description applies to cultures isolated by him from water 

 and milk, and to a culture obtained from Krai's laboratory at Prague. 

 The organism herein described ferments raffinose to acid and pro- 

 fusely to gas; Var.B.i of Jackson fails to ferment rafifinose. 



The association of gas-producing bacteria with the production 

 of sliminess or ropiness in milk has long been known. Freudenreich 

 (1890)^ found that viscous milk might be caused by B.guilleheau. an 

 organism causing gas production in cheese; the description recorded 

 does not permit of detailed comparison. The Bacillus mucosus 

 capsulaius of Friedlander is capable of producing slimy milk^, differing 

 biochemically from B. œrogenes in its failure to ferment lactose. 



AbeF attributes the formation of capsules to B. œrogenes. Emmerl- 

 ing (1900)^ Schardinger (1902)l^ and Utz (1904)" note the tendency 

 of B. œrogenes to become viscous upon cultivation in milk. Conn 

 Esten and Stocking (1906)^^ under the group B. œrogenes describe a 

 strain received from Harding which caused sliminess in milk; but 

 which failed to ferment lactose. Harrison (1905)^^ describes two 



