FAMILY BACILLACEAE 



773 



Acid and gas from glucose, fructose, 

 galactose, maltose, lactose, sucrose, raffi- 

 nose, starch, salicin, inulin and glycerol. 

 Mannitol and dulcitol not fermented. 



Source : Originally isolated from human 

 gaseous gangrene. 



Habitat : Found in soil and milk. 

 Widely distributed in nature. 



2. Clostridiiun fallax (Weinberg and 

 Seguin) Bergej' et al. (Bacille A, 

 Weinberg and Seguin, Compt. rend. Soc. 

 Biol., Paris, 78, 1915, 277; Bacillus fallax 

 Weinberg and Seguin, ibid., 686; not 

 Bacillus fallax Ornstein, Ztschr. f. 

 Hyg., 91, 1920, 159; Vallorillus fallax 

 Heller, Jour. Bact., 7, 1922, 6; Bergey 

 et al.. Manual, 1st ed., 1923, 325.) From 

 Latin, /aWax, deceptive. 



Rods : 0.6 by 1.2 to 5.0 microns, occur- 

 ring singly or rarely in pairs. Motile 

 with peritrichous flagella. Encapsulated 

 in body fluids. Spores rarely observed, 

 oval, excentric to subterminal, swelling 

 rods. Gram-positive. 



Gelatin not liquefied. 



Glucose agar surface colonies (anaero- 

 bic): Circular, flat, with transparent, 

 crenated margin. 



Glucose agar deep colonies : Lenticular, 

 bean-shaped, irregular, smooth. 



Agar slant (anaerobic) : Grayish film. 



Broth: Poor growth; slight diffuse 

 turbidity. 



Glucose broth : Abundant turbidity 

 and gas. Clearing by sedimentation. 



Indole not formed (Duffett, Jour. 

 Bact., 29, 1935, 576). 



Litmus milk: Acid, slowly coagulated. 

 Litmus reduced. Clot channeled bj- gas, 

 but not digested. 



Acid and gas from glucose, galactose, 

 fructose, maltose, lactose, sucrose, inu- 

 lin, salicin and starch. Glycerol and 

 mannitol not fermented. Records vary 

 in regard to action on lactose, inulin and 

 salicin. 



Coagulated albumin not liquefied. 



Blood serum not liquefied. 



Brain medium not blackened or di- 

 gested. 



Meat medium reddened ; not blackened 

 or digested. 



Pathogenicity for guinea pig variable, 

 and commonlj^ lost in cultivation. Forms 

 a weak exotoxin. 



Optimum temperature not recorded; 

 grows well at 37°C. 



Anaerobic. 



Source: From war wounds, appendici- 

 tis, and once from black-leg of sheep. 



Habitat : Not determined, other than 

 these sources. 



3. Clostridium fissum (Debono) Ber- 

 gey et al. (Bacillus fissus Debono, Cent, 

 f. Bakt., I Abt., Orig., 62, 1912, 232; 

 Bergey et al.. Manual, 1st ed., 1923, 332.) 

 From Latin, fissum, separated. 



Rods : Variable in size, rounded or 

 square ends, occurring singly, in pairs 

 and in chains and filaments. Motile. 

 Spores small, oval, subterminal, slightly 

 swelling rods. Gram -positive. 



Gelatin : Not liquefied. 



Deep gelatin colonies at 22°C : Small, 

 brownish, globular, opaque and entire. 



Deep glucose agar colonies : Small, 

 white, globular. Gas is formed. No 

 pigment formed. 



Broth: Uniformly turbid. 



Milk: Acid, coagulated after 3 days. 



Indole not formed. 



Acid and gas from glucose. Acid only 

 in lactose and sucrose. 



Coagulated albumin not liquefied. 



Grows at 22°C and 37°C. 



Anaerobic. 



Distinctive character : All cultures 

 smell strongly of butyric acid. 



Source : From human feces. 



Habitat : Not determined, other than 

 this source. 



4. Clostridium difficile (Hall and 



O 'Toole) Prevot. {Bacillus difficilis 

 Hall and O'Toole, Amer. Jour. Dis. 

 Child., 49, 1935, 390; Clostridium difficilis 

 Pr(5vot, Ann. Inst. Past. 61, 1938, 84.) 

 From Latin, difficilis, difficult. 

 Rods :Heavy-bodied. Actively motile. 



