204 DEPARTMENT OF TEE NAVAL SERVICE 



8 GEORGE V, A. 1918 



been in pure culture for several months, a decided ropiness was noted, milk 

 tubes being- distinctly slimy within 24 hours after inoculation. This feature 

 appears to have developed under cultivation, and has since persisted. 

 Litmus Milk. — In 18 hours violaceus, no coagulation; in 48 hours gas, heavy 

 pellicle, coagulated and digestion proceeding ; in 4 days a yellow digested fluid 

 extending 2cm. below surface, remainder violaceous; in 10 days i digested, 

 remainder soft gelatinous curd; in 14 days except for tint, appearance very 

 similar to milk as noted above. 



Aesculin agar. — 1 loop from peptone broth culture streaked on plates. In 24 

 hours black reaction. 



MacConhey's N.R.B. Broth. — In 24 hours heavy growth. No reduction to canary 

 yellow. Later colour slightly changed but no definite reduction. 



Gelatine Colonies. — (1st appearance.) Room temperature in 72 hours liquefaction 

 well advanced; individual colonies up to 3mm. diameter, round, saucer-shaped, 

 characteristic of the organisms of the proteus group; centre of colony dark 

 white spot -25 mm. diameter, then clear space, then semi -transparent rim. 

 Under the low power objective opaque centre merging into myceloid filaments, 

 then clear space, and heavily clouded borders with entire edges; medium 

 unchanged, no characteristic smell. 



Agar colonies. — 20 hours at 37°C. growth rapid, surface colonies concave, 1^- 

 2imm. diameter; very slimy after repeated sub-culturing drawing out on 

 needle 10-15cm. ; glistening; by transmitted light distinctly radiate, whole 

 colony bluish but slightly more opaque in centre; subsurface colonies bluish 

 to white. Under the low power objective surface colonies 'brownish with dark 

 opaque centre in some, finely to coarsely granular; some colonies same struc- 

 ture throughout; edges entire hyaline. Suhsurface colonies distinct, grumose 

 to mound like. 



Temperature Relations: — 



Thermal death point. — 10 minutes exposure in nutrient broth at 60° C. 

 Optimum temperature. — Cultures incubated at room temperature and at 37° C. 



grow well. Most satisfactory growth at 37° C. 

 Vitality on Culture Media. — The culture survives several months in artificial 



medium agar or gelatine. 



Relation to Oxygen. — The culture is a facultative anaerobe; incubated for 36 hours 

 under anaerobic conditions moderate growth on glucose agar slope, bluish tint; 

 very hea-vy clouding of condensation water; on the slope seen as discrete colonies 

 varying from a thin bluish film to converse moist colonies 1 mm. diameter with 

 ferric yellow centre paling towards edges. The medium riddled with gas bubbles 

 ^ - 1 cm. diameter, much froth in tube. This organism appears to grow equally 

 well aerobically or anaerobically. 



Biochemical Reactions: — 



Indol production: Indol produced. 



Beduction of Nitrates : Nitrates reduced to nitrites. 



Voges-Proskauer reaction: Positive. 



Methyl red reaction: Alkaline. 



Fermentation of Carbohydrates. — This culture ferments lactose feebly to acid, 

 the Andrade indicator showing reduction in 48 hours, and no gas is produced. 

 Raffinose, glycerine and inulin are fermented to acid with slight production 

 of gas ; the gas in glycerine not appearing until the second day. The remaining 

 fermentable substances are acted upon rapidly, evolving gas profusely within 



