BIO-GHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BACILLI 81 



Durham (1898) (3) gives the bio-chemical characteristics 

 of various Gaertner type cultures. He found, using 1% 

 peptone water solutions of the "sugars," that all gave acid 

 and gas on glucose, mannit, levulose, maltose, dextrin, and 

 no action on lactose, cane sugar, starch, and inulin. On 

 litmus whey, acid was followed by alkalinity. He states 

 that with 2% peptone and 1% of either mannit or glucose, 

 the initial acidity is followed by alkalinity. 



Schottmuller (1900) (38) describes an organism from a case 

 of enteric-like illness and differentiates it principally by 

 serum reactions and gas formation. 



Gushing (1900y i7 > found a bacillus, "bacillus *0\" from 

 an abscess following a case of ? paratyphoid fever. Glucose 

 was fermented and "cameleonage " and liberation of the 

 fat (clearing) of the litmus milk occurred. The organism 

 was actively motile. Indol was not produced in peptone, 

 but a trace occurred in sugar free broth. He quotes a 

 similar finding in a post-typhoidal rib abscess by Blumer. 



Durham (1900) (39) in attempting to classify the colon- 

 typhoid group by means of various sugars, etc., gives some 

 considerable attention to the Gaertner type organisms. 

 He distinguishes : — 



I. A true Gaertner type in which he includes bs. 

 Gaertner, Moorseele, aertryck, hog cholera, typhi- 

 murium, psittacosis and morbif bovis, etc. These 

 he describes as forming acid and gas in glucose* 

 and none in lactose and cane sugar. They give 

 preliminary acidity followed by alkalinity in 

 litmus whey. 



II. A type including b. Gwyn and b. "O" Gushing. 

 These he found, while giving abundant acid in 

 glucose, gave free gas only under certain circum- 

 stances. Lactose was not affected. 



F— June 5, 1912 



