CHAPTER XII 



DESCRIPTION OF SOME SPECIES OF MILK BACTERIA 



The method of description and differentiation adopted in the 

 following pages follows the recommendations of the Bacteriological 

 Committee of the American Public Health Association (1897), ^^ 

 so far as it was found practicable to apply them to species already 

 described. Each organism, as far as facts were obtainable, is there- 

 fore described on the same basis. The list is of 7m7k bacteria or their 

 allies. Organisms of water, soil, etc., are not included.^ Descrip- 

 tions are given only of organisms, for which, the claim has been 

 made that they have a particular and intimate relationship to milk, 

 butter, or cheese. Of course the list is provisional only. Present 

 knowledge of the various species of bacteria' belonging to milk is 

 very limited, and what there is remains at jpresent in a condition 

 of extreme chaos. Nomenclature technique vary widely. Milk 

 also varies widely. Hence at present confusion reigns, except in 

 regard to a few well-known species. The following list is an 

 attempt to rescue from the chaos some of the more reliable 

 descriptions of organisms. They are placed here for the guidance 

 of milk bacteriologists, and, although imperfect, form, we believe, 

 the most complete record yet published. We recognise, however, 

 that it is very far from satisfactory. As far as possible, the author's 

 own description of each species has been adopted. No attempt has 

 been made at classification.^ The species are placed in alpha- 

 betical order. 



^ For descriptions of such organisms the works of Sternberg, Fliigge, 

 Lehmann, and Neumann, Mac^, or Horrocks may be consulted. 



'^ Fliigge, Migula, Conn, and others have made attempts to classify milk 

 bacteria, and the last named has probably carried the matter to the most 

 successful issue. But all such classification is premature at present. See 

 Starr's Agric. Sta. Twelfth Report^ 1899, p. 13. 



