AGTIN. CHROMOGENES GASPERINI p ALBA. 455 



Potato Growth. Growth quite rapid and luxuriant. 

 As early as forty-eight hours in the incubator, a yellow, 

 yellowish-brown, greenish-brown, or brown layer, 8 mm. 

 wide, has formed. In our cultures the chalky appearing 

 air hypha3 always began at the edge. The potato is later 

 discolored intensely brown to black, and becomes strongly 

 alkaline. 



Chemical Activities. There is produced a dark-brown 

 pigment and an intense moldy odor upon all nutrient 

 media. According to Rullmarm, the earthy smell is most 

 intense upon bread pap and other media composed of car- 

 bohydrates. There occurs a nitrogenous body, soluble in 

 water and ether. The odor is said to be the same as arises 

 from an unclean floor upon washing. Ammonia is abun- 

 dantly formed. According to Rullmann, in symbiosis with 

 fission-fungi it has considerable capacity for forming ni- 

 trate. 



Distribution. (a) Outside the body : In Wiirzburg it is 

 not uncommon in the air, soil, and water, and appears 

 also otherwise distributed. 



(6) In organism: We found it once in gastric contents. 



Special Methods for Demonstration and Cultiva- 

 tion. Agar plates in incubator. Observe brown halo, 

 chalky discoloration, odor. 



Actinomyces chromogenes Gasperini alba. L. and N. 



Streptothrix Foersteri Gasperini (Cohn?), Streptothrix 

 alba Rossi Doria, Streptothrix I and II Almquist, Oospora 

 Guignardi Sauvageau and Radais, Actinomyces albus Gas- 

 perini, 1 Oospora Doriae Sauvageau and Radais. 



According to Doria, it is especially frequent in Rome, but occurs 

 aLso in Wiirzburg. It does not color the nutrient media. It forms a 

 white cushion of circular form, and tends to produce abundant air- 

 spores. Gelatin is liquefied. 



According to Gasperini, the cultures many times exhibit a sudden 

 production of pigment, like the Actin. chromogenes. According to 

 Rossi Doria, it also grows upon fucus (sea-weed) nutrient media with 

 a dark discoloration of the nutrient medium. From what we have 

 seen and learned from the literature, the only possible comprehension 



1 The Cladothrix invulnerabilis Acosta y Grande Rossi (C. B. xiv, 

 14) appears closely related. It is said to bear heating for one-quarter 

 hour to 120. The cultures have an earthy odor. 



