334 JACK J. HINMAN, JR., AND MAX LEVINE 



CULTURAL CHARACTERS 



Plain agar. On this substrate the character of growth varies with 

 the age and consistency of the medium. On moist, fresh agar, there 

 is a moderate, spreading, effuse, glistening, transparent, butyrous 

 growth which is difficult to see if the medium is not perfectly clear. 

 On dry (high agar content) or old agar the growth is filiform and 

 almost opaque and in old cultures (2 weeks) it becomes membranous. 

 The medium is not changed, there is no distinctive odor and no 

 chromogenesis. 



Lactose agar. On fresh lactose (Andrade) agar, the surface growth 

 is almost invisible on account of its effuse character and transpar- 

 ency. It spreads rapidly over the surface forming acid, and acid 

 and gas in butt. 



Gelatin. At 37C. gelatin was not liquefied in 48 hours. 



At 20 to 22C. gelative stabs showed a moderate growth which 

 was best at the top and filiform along the line of puncture. Lique- 

 faction was very slow, first becoming evident in from 14 to 20 days. 



Tubes evenly inoculated on the surface and kept for 30 days 

 (20 to 22C.) showed but 2 mm. of liquefaction. 



Broth. In nutrient broth at 37C. there was but slight clouding 

 and very little sediment. Surface growth was not evident until 

 the third day when a pellicle was present. In sugar broth (glucose, 

 lactose, sucrose, maltose and inulin) there was no surface growth 

 even on long incubation. (14 days) 



Potato. The reaction on potato was particularly striking. In 

 24-48 hours at body temperature, the entire mass of culture medium 

 was covered with gas and in 4 to 7 days, the potato was almost com- 

 pletely digested. The diastatic action was very marked with all of 

 the 14 cultures studied. The organism evidently produces a power- 

 ful pectinase, as the medium is entirely disintegrated. 



COLONY CHARACTERISTICS 



Plain agar. On nutrient agar surface colonies when well isolated, 

 were irregular in form with a lobate edge. They may be described 

 as amoeboid. - The colonies were smooth, glossy and effuse, showed 

 no distinct internal structure and quickly confluesced. It is gener- 

 ally difficult to discern the colonies due to the transparency of the 

 growth. 



