226 SPECIAL BACTERIOLOGY 



their virulence, but regain it again when cultivated on fish media. 

 Morphologically and in the cultures the appearance is very similar to 

 the Bacterium phosphorescens, only smaller and more coccoid-like. 



BACILLUS PHOSPHORESCENS INDICUS (B. FISCHER). 



Cultivated by B. Fischer from phosphorescent sea-water in the West 

 Indies. 



Microscopical Appearances. Motile rods, twice as long as broad 

 (0'6 to 0*8 by 2 fjC), often arranged in crooked threads. 



Staining Reactions. Do not stain by the Gram method. 

 Spore Formation absent. 



Biological Characters. Grows under aerobic conditions at medium 

 temperatures. 



On Gelatine Plates, round, bluish-green, slowly liquefying colonies, 

 which later become granular and of a brownish colour. 



In Gelatine Stab Cultures, funnel-shaped liquefying growth ; in the 

 deeper portion of the medium the growth is limited. 



On Agar and on Potatoes cooked in sea- water, a dirty whitish 

 coating develops. Blood serum is liquefied. The blue phosphorescence 

 is very well marked in cultures on dead sea animals, sea-water, and 

 meat. The organism is non-pathogenic. 



BACILLUS PHOSPHORESCENS INDIGENUS (FISCHER); 



Found by Fischer in Kiel harbour. It is very similar to the B. 

 phosphorescens indicus, only gelatine medium is liquefied more slowly, 

 while blood serum is not liquefied. It grows at lower temperatures, and 

 causes no phosphorescence on meat. 



THERMOPHILIC BACTERIA. 



Miquel found a bacillus in the Seine in 1891;, which possessed the 

 faculty of growing at a temperature of 69 to 70 C. In 1887, Koch and 

 Globig found bacteria in the surface of the earth, which grew between 

 50 and 70 C. M'Fadyean and Rabinowitsch have also contributed to 

 our knowledge of this group of bacteria. 



The Thermophilic bacteria are mostly bacilli that are facultative 

 anaerobes and non-pathogenic, Most of the forms produce spores which 

 exhibit great resistance. All the various forms grow at a temperature 

 between 56 and 58 C. A few forms grow at 68 C., and at 70 C. Globig 

 observed growth only exceptionally. 



