14 



B. ruber (Zimmermann). 



This form was isolated from the Chemnitz water supply and 

 described by Zimmermann in 1890(61). Migula gives it the 

 name B. pseudoruber, since, he says, the name ruber had al- 

 ready been used by Frank, whose organism, he thinks, is not 

 identical with that of Zimmermann. Zimmermann himself 

 had mentioned Frank's form, but remarked, that identity with 

 his was impossible to determine because of the incomplete descrip- 

 tion of the former; he thinks that his organism is more likely to 

 be identical with Ei sen berg's red bacillus. 



My culture of B. ruber Zimmermann, from Krai, differs 

 both from the original description and from that of Eisen- 

 b e r g 's bacillus (cf. Table X). It is non - liquefying, non-gas pro- 

 ducing, and non-luxuriant on potato. It differs from B. rubri- 

 cus and B. rufus in being an actively motile bacillus. Bouillon 

 shows a peculiar growth; no development is visible for three or 

 four days, then a thin pink pellicle forms on the surface which 

 sends floating cobwebby streamers down into the clear liquid. 

 This may still be seen after 26 days. Some pin-point pink colonies 

 attach themselves to the wall of the tube. Potato shows a slow 

 clear red growth, limited to the needle track. Litmus milk 

 becomes blue through alkali production. No development occurs 

 without oxygen , nor at 37 C. Blood serum not liquefied, nitrate 

 not reduced. 



B. havaniensis (Sternberg). 



Sternberg has unfortunately given this name to two different 

 organisms ; one, the color producing, he termed B. havaniensis (62), 

 the other, colorless, B. havaniensis liquefaciens. Kruse 

 and Migula describe the latter under the name B. havaniensis, 

 which properly belongs to the red form. Sternberg's descrip- 

 tion of the red form is as follows : A short oval bacillus, usually 

 in pairs, about 0,4 0,5 (j. in diameter. The cells are nearly sphe- 

 rical. It is an aerobic, non-liquefying, chromogenic bacillus, which 

 grows slowly at room temperature. On gelatin plate the colonies 

 are spherical, translucent, of a blood red color; on gelatin stab 

 there is an opaque carmine layer, with a scanty colorless growth 

 in the depths. On agar the growth is slow but continuous, of a 

 glistening red color, with wavy outlines. The organism frequently 

 fails to grow on acid potato, but sometimes develops on old dry 

 potato. Pigment is found only in the presence of free oxygen. - 

 Migula, in describing this organism, does not include it among 

 the red forms; he says that its growth on agar is brown, and that 

 it shows no growth on potato. 



The culture here described is of unknown origin, having been 

 in the laboratory (University of Chicago), some years under the 

 name B. havaniensis. It agrees exactly with Sternberg's 

 description as far as that goes. Growth in bouillon is similar to 

 that described for B. ruber Zimmermann. Litmus milk is un- 



