CHAPTER XLIV 

 THE HIGHER BACTERIA 

 {Chlamydobacteriacew , Trichomycetes) 



Standing midway between the true bacteria and the more complex 

 molds or Hyphomycetes, there are a number of pathogenic micro- 

 organisms which offer great difficulties to classification. In the classifi- 

 cation of Migula most of these forms have been placed in a rather 

 heterogeneous group, the Chlamydobacteriaceae. By other authors, 

 notably Lachner-Sandoval,' Berestnew,^ and by Petruschky,^ the close 

 relationship of these forms to the higher hyphomycetes has been em- 

 phasized and they have been grouped as a subdivision of the true molds 

 under the family name of Trichomycetes. 



Petruschky^ proposes the following clear schematization, which, 

 even though possibly defective from a purely botanical point of view, 

 is at least serviceable for the purposes of the bacteriologist. 



Hyphomycetes 

 True molds Trichomycetes 



Leptothrix Cladothrix Streptothrix Actinomyces 



Leptothrix is used to designate those forms which appear as simple 

 threads without branching. 



Cladothrix is a thread-like form in which false branching may be 

 recognized. By false branching is meant an appearance resulting from 

 the fragmentation of threads. The terminal cell breaks away from the 

 main stem, is set at an angle by the elongation of the thread itself, and, 



' Lachner-Sandoval, "Ueber Strahlenpilze.'' Diss. Strassburg, 1898. 



2 Berestnew, Ref. Cent. f. Bakt., xxiv, 1898. 



3 Petruschky, in KoUe und Wassermann, " Handbuch," etc. 

 * Petruschky, loc. cit. 



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