CHAPTER V. 



DISEASES CAUSED BT BACTEBIA 

 GENUS BACTERIUM. 



§ 63. General discussion of the genus bacterium. 

 The genus Bacterium includes all the rod-shaped, non-motile 

 bacteria. The absence of motility appears to be a logical, 

 natural and sufficient reason to place these organisms in a 

 genus by themselves. The only objection, that can be reason- 

 ably urged against it from the pathologist's point of view, is 

 the changing of the generic name of a number of important 

 pathogenic bacteria, such as those of anthrax, glanders, tuber- 

 culosis and others, from Bacillus to Bacterium* This, how- 

 ever, is not serious but should be gladly welcomed if it enables 

 us to bring into groups for study diseases that are etiologically 

 more closely related. It is for this reason that the classifica- 

 tion is adopted. The further subdivision of the non-motile, 

 rod-shaped bacteria into several genera, as found in more 

 recent classifications, suggests the possible desirability of a 

 more restricted grouping of diseases for study and comparison, 

 than Migula's classification permits. Several writers have 

 already proposed a more limited grouping, such as is found in 

 the Pasteurelloses . 



§ 64. Pasteurelloses. L,ignieresf has introduced the 

 term Pasteurelloses to include a group of diseases in different 

 species of animals caused by the bacteria represented by the 



* It is important not to confuse the genus bacterium as revived by 

 Migula with the same genus of earlier writers who characterized it as 

 composed of non-spore bearing, rod-shaped organisms. 



■hLigniferes. Contribution a I'etude et a la classification des septi- 

 cemics hemorrhagiques les" Pasteurelloses." Ann. de V Instit. Pasteur, 

 Vol. XV (1901), p. 734. 



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