FAMILY BACILLACEAE 763 



Germs II. Clostridium Prazmowski* 



(Prazmowski , Untersuchungen Uber die Entwickelungsgeschiehte und Ferment- 

 wirkung einiger Bacterien-Arten, Inaug. Diss., Leipzig, 1880, 23; Vibrio Mtiller, 

 Vermium terrestrium et fluviatilum, 1, 1773, 39; Bacterium Ehrenberg, Evertebrata, 

 Berlin, 1828, (8?)**; Metallacter Perty, Zur Kenntniss kleinster Lebensformen, 1852, 

 (180?); Amylohacter Trecul, Compt. rend. Acad. Sci., Paris, 61, 1865, 435; Bacillus 

 Cohn, Beitr. z. Biol. d. Pflanzen, /, Heft 2, 1872, 175; Tyrothrix Duclaux, Ann. Inst. 

 Nat. Agron., J^, 1882, (79?); Pacinia Trevisan, Atti della Accad. Fis. -Med. -Statist., 

 Milano, Ser. 4, 3, 1885, (83?) ; Cornilia Trevisan, I generi e le specie delle Batteriacee, 

 Milano, 1889, 21; Gramilohacter Beijerinck, Verhandl. d. k. Akad. v. Wetensch., 

 Amsterdam, Tweedie Sect., Deel I, 1893,4; Bactridium, Paraplectrum, Diplectridiuin 

 and Plectridium Fischer, Jahrb. f. Wissensch. Botan., 27, 1895, 139; Granulobacillus 

 Schattenfroh and Grassberger, Cent. f. Bakt., II Abt., 5, 1899, 702; Streptobacillus 

 Rist and Khoury, Ann. Inst. Past., 16, 1902, 70; Botxdobacillus, Butyribacillus, Cel- 

 lidobacillus , Putribacillus and Pectobacillus Orla-Jensen, Cent. f. Bakt., II Abt., 22, 

 1909, 342-343; Pectinobacter Makrinov, Arch. Sci. Biol. (Russ.), 18, 1915, 442; Bac- 

 teroides Castellani and Chahners, Man. of Trop. Med., 3rd ed., 1919, 959; Butyriclos- 

 tridium and Putriclostridium Orla-Jensen, Jour. Bact., 6, 1921, 263; Rivoltillus and 

 Metchnikovillus Heller, Jour. Bact., 6, 1921, 550; Omelianskillus, Macintoshillus, 

 Douglasillus, Henrillus, Flemingillus , Vallorillus, Multifermentans, Hiblerillus, 

 Welchillus, Stoddardillus , Arloingillus, Meyerillus, Novillus, Seguinillus, Reglillus, 

 Robertsonillus , Nicollaierillus, Mariellillus, Recordillus, Tissierillus, Putrificus, 

 Ermengemillus and Weinbergillus Heller, Jour. Bact., 7, 1922, 5-9; Peptoclosiridium 

 Donker, Inaug. Diss., Delft, 1926, 23 ; Botulinus, Chauvoea and Welchia Pribram, Jour. 

 Bact., 18, 1929, 374; Anaerobacillus , Verrucosus and Euclostridium Janke, Cent. f. 

 Bakt., II Abt., 80, 1930,490; Butylobacter Bakonyi, U. S. Letters Pat., 1,818,782, 1931 ; 

 Caduceus, Endosporus, Infiabilis, Palmula and Terminosporus Pr^vot, Ann. Inst. 

 Past., 61, 1938, 76-86; Acuformis (syn. Palmula) Prevot, Man.d. Class., etc., 1940, 

 152.) From Greek, Clostridium, a little spindle. 



Rods, frequently enlarged at sporulation, producing clostridial or plectridial forms. 

 The cells possess no catalase. Anaerobic or microaerophilic. Biochemically very 

 active. Many species ferment carbohydrates producing various acids (frequently 

 including butyric) and gas (CO2, Ho and sometimes CH4). Others cause rapid putre- 

 faction of proteins producing offensive odors. Commonly found in soil and in human 

 or animal feces. Some species, while growing saprophytically on decomposing vege- 

 table matter or on dead tissue within an animal host, form various toxic and lytic 

 substances and are thereby pathogenic. 



The type species is Clostridium butyricum Prazmowski. 



Key to the species of genus Clostridium. 



I. Strictly anaerobic. 



A. Not typically fermenters of cellulose. 



1. Do not characteristically produce distinctive pigments, 

 a. Spores central, excentric, to subterminal. 

 b. Spores oval. 



* Revised by Prof. R. S. Spray, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, 

 Morgantown, West Virginia, November, 1938; further revision May, 1942. 



** In a few instances the original records were inaccessible. In such cases the page 

 is indicated as (8?). In all other cases the page indicates what is believed to be the 

 earliest record of the designation cited. 



