Streptococcic Mastitis. 



89 



Fig. 17. 



3. ' Influencing individual strains relative to their acid formation in the sense of 

 increasing decreasing it, is possible. The characteristics which the freshly isolated 

 strains jxsess are more or less permanent." 



4. There exists a relation between the group of Streptococcus giintheri and the 

 Streptocuws agalactiae since their capability of forming acid is about the same. ' ' 



5. ' The oft recurring confusion of the two may be explained by certain similar 

 forms o%rowth which both possess. ' ' 



6. ^The supposition that the pathogenic streptococci represents lactic acid bac- 

 teria of to Typ. giintheri which have adapted themselves to parasitic conditions, is sub- 

 stantiatecby the findings, since it was possible in the various strains of streptococci to 

 produce tinsition forms, which correspond to the Typ. giintheri." 



Threfore from these few examples it may be seen that it is 

 impos^le to separate the streptococcus of infectious mastitis from 

 the grap of the lactic acid streptococci. Nevertheless it would be 

 a greaterror to identify 

 the orihary lactic acid 

 streptcocci with patho- 

 genic siteptococci of man 

 and aniials. 



If he fact is taken 

 into consideration that 

 some steptococci, as for 

 instanc<that of Kefir, the 

 streptoocci of sour milk, 

 and otbrs, have a fa- 

 vorableinfluence on the 

 nutritia of man, the ne- 

 cessity of their strict 

 identificition for control- 

 ling th< milk supply is 

 apparet, 



Altough it is not 

 possible absolutely dif- 

 ferentiae one strain by 

 cultural and biological 

 charactcistics, from a 

 culture strain of differ- 

 ent oriin, nevertheless 

 there ai certain morphological characteristics of the streptococci 

 in the siears made from sediments, which are sufficiently constant 

 to absoitely warrant the definite assertion that the streptococci 

 in certai positive cases originated in an infected organ, and were 

 not incicntally leading a saprophytic existence in the milk. 



It hs been known for a long time that parasitic bacteria in 

 the aniial body, under the influence of the animal's protective 

 strength attain certain peculiarities of form which they lose under 

 ordinar\cultural conditions (under certain conditions it is possible 

 to cultiate capsulated anthrax bacilli). Reference is made to 

 the capale of anthrax bacilli and to the formation of botryomy- 

 cotic clurps by streptococcic forms. Consideration of the question 

 whethersuch changes of form in bacteria are developed as protec- 



Sediment of milk, one day old, from an udder affected 

 with streptococcic mastitis; (a) streptococci of in- 

 fectious mastitis, (b) subsequently developed strep- 

 tococci; 1, 2, 3 and 4, cells from the udder. 



