THE H1GHE11 BACTERIA 



963 



bibliography by Breed and Conn (J. Bacteriol., 1919, iv, 585). The 

 outcome of the matter seems to be that the genus leptothrix may stand 

 as representing filamentous forms without branching, of which our 

 knowledge is very incomplete, and that there are two distinct groups 

 of pathogenic species Nocardice, which are aerobic, and the actimo- 

 myces, which are anaerobic. The former, at least, includes a large 

 number of related species. 



FIG. 102. STREPTOTHRIX, SHOWING TRUE BRANCHING. 



LEPTOTHRIX 



Members of the leptothrix group have been observed in connection 

 with inflammations of the mouth and pharynx by Frankel,* Michelson, 5 

 Epstein, 6 and others. In many of these cases the organism was identi- 

 fied by morphology chiefly, pure cultures not having been obtained. 

 The disease in none of these cases was accompanied by severe systemic 

 symptoms and it is likely that when found in human beings the 

 organisms may be regarded simply as comparatively harmless sapro- 

 phytes appearing in connection with some other specific inflammation. 



Cultivation of the Leptothrices is not easy and has been successful 

 only in the hands of Vignal 7 and Arustamoff. 8 



4 Frankel, Eulenburg's ' ' Kealencycl. <1. gesam. Heilkunde, " 1882. 



5 Michelson, Berl. kliu. Woch., ix, 1889. 



6 Epstein, Prag. med. Woch., 1900. 



7 Vignal, Ann. do phys., viii, 1886. 



8 Arustamoff, Quoted from Petruschky, loc. cit. 



