Mar. 35, 1914 
Streptococci in Milk 
507 
The same test applied to the mouth cultures would show that almost 
any individual culture could be included in the feces group. However, 
almost any mouth culture would be an exceptional, not a typical, feces 
culture. A culture fermenting saccharose, lactose, raffinose, and mannite 
could be either from the mouth or from feces, but there is a high proba¬ 
bility that it would be of buccal origin. On the other hand, a culture 
fermenting saccharose, lactose, raffinose, and starch, but failing to fer¬ 
ment mannite or glycerin, would almost certainly be of fecal origin. 
RELATION OF THESE GROUPS TO NAMED VARIETIES 
It would be difficult to identify all of these groups with previously 
described species. Until the work of Gordon, few cultures were described 
Fig. 8.—Diagram showing a possible grouping of the milk cultures of streptococci. 
on the basis of the fermentation of a large number of test substances, 
and in only a very few cases have the cultures been obtained from a 
definite source. An exception may be made of the pathogenic bacteria 
in which the cultures described have been selected from definite and very 
similar sources. Among the streptococci we have an example in the 
pus-forming organism generally described as Streptococcus pyogenes . In 
Table VIII are compiled the typical reactions given for Streptococcus 
pyogenes by three investigations. The reactions given by Andrewes and 
Horder are compiled from a large number of cultures, and those given 
by Gordon are from a number of his own cultures. 1 2 Those given b y 
Bergey are the reactions of a comparatively few typical cultures. 3 So 
1 Andrewes, F. W., and Horder, T. J., A study of the streptococci pathogenic for man. Lancet, v. 2, 
no. 11, p. 708-713; no. 12, p. 775-782; no. 13, p. 852-855. 1906. 
Gordon, M. H. Report on an investigation of the fermentative characters of streptococci present on 
fauces during scarlet fever. 40th Ann. Rpt. Local Govt. Bd. [Gt. Brit.], 1910-11, Suppl. Rpt. Med. Off., 
p. 302-31, 1911. 
2 Bergey, D.H. Differentiation of cultures of streptococcus. Jour. Med. Research, v. 27 (n. s., v. 12), 
no. 1, p. 67-77. 1912. 
