AGTIN. CHROMOGENES GASPERINI (3 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 hyphae 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 Rullmann, 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 Wurzburg 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 /5 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, ' Oospora Doriae Sauvageau and Radais. 



According to Doria, it is especially frequent in Home, hut occurs 

 also in Wurzburg. 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. 



