Research in 



^actenlalo^cf aact "Pu&li^ 



of national significanc 



By JAMES E. FULLER and WARREN LITSKY 

 Department of Bacteriology and Public Health 



THE mere mention of bacteria sug- 

 gests germs that cause infectious 

 diseases. Many bacteria, however, 

 are necessary in agriculture, industry, 

 and medicine. It is bacteria that help 

 digest plant and animal refuse and 

 return it to the soil as humus and 

 nitrogen. It is bacteria, the silent 

 partners of industry, that make 

 cheese, vinegar, and other fermenta- 

 tion products possible. It is bacteria 

 and microorganisms that produce the 

 antibiotics of which we are all so 

 conscious today. 



Research in bacteriology was be- 

 gun at the University in 1912 by the 

 late Dr. Charles E. Marshall, who 

 organized the Department of Micro- 

 biology, now the Department of Bac- 

 teriology and Public Health. 



Other department heads have been 

 the late Dr. George E. Gage, Dr. 

 Leon A. Bradley, and now Professor 

 Ralph L. France. 



Maintaining pure water supplies 

 has been a problem since the begin- 

 ning of time. A new method has been 

 perfected here to indicate recent fecal 

 pollution of water by using a bac- 

 teria of the enterococci group (fecal 

 streptococci ) found only in feces. 



Unlike the older test, which em- 

 ployed coliform bacteria, the new 

 test positively identifies recent fecal 

 pollution. This test prevents the con- 

 demnation of water that may be con- 

 sidered as questionable by older tests. 



Swimming pools have increased 

 the burden of the sanitarians. Bac- 

 teriologists here were among the first 



Dr. Charles Edward Marshall (1866-1927), first 

 head of the Department of Microbiology. Prod- 

 uct of Jorgensen's Laboratory and the Pasteur 

 Institute, Dr. Marshall distinguished himself as 

 a successful editor, college administrator, and 

 reearch director. 



