dium around colonies becomes turbid from the precipitation of protein. No surface growth. Ascitic fluid agar: Growth by most strains. Serum broth: Milky turbidity. Peptone broth: No growth. Liver broth: No turbidity; grayish white, flaky precipitate. Indole not produced. Hydrogen sulfide not produced. Acid from glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose and sometimes from lactose. No acid from inulin or mannitol (Hine and Berry). Pathogenicity: Associated with Vincent's angina. Non-pathogenic for white mice (Hauduroy et al., Diet. d. Bact. Path., Paris, 1953, 259). Anaerobic. Temperature relations: Survives 60° C. for 2 but not for 5 minutes. Relationship to other species: There has been a continuous discussion in the litera- ture regarding the identity of Vincent's organism (Vincent, op. cit., 1896, 495) with that reported by Plant (Deutsch. med. Wochnschr., £0, 1894, 922). A review of Plaut's work indicates that he dealt pri- marily with a mixed culture, one of the organisms present being the "Miller 'schen Bacillus," which appears to have been Selenomonas sputigena Dobell. Early Ger- man workers (e.g. Knorr) have favored the idea that Plaut's organism is really identical with Vincent's organism, but Vincent and other French investigators have maintained that the two organisms are distinct. The French viewpoint, which seems to be the correct one, is well summarized by Weinberg et al. (Les Microbes Anaerobies, 1937, 804) and by Prevot (Ann. Inst. Past., 60, 1938, 285). Plaut's organism is so vaguely de- scribed that it should be placed among the species incertae sedis; it is doubtful whether it can be definitely reidentified. Source: Isolated from cases of hospital gangrene (Vincent) ; also isolated from gingival crevices in normal mouths, from cases with deep caries, inflamed areas around crowns and fillings, pyorrhetic pockets, Vincent's infection and from the mouths of three monkeys and two rabbits (Hine and Berry). Habitat: Found in mouth cavities with gangrenous lesions as well as in normal mouth cavities. 2. Fusobacterium polyniorphuni Knorr, 1923. (Cent. f. Bakt., I Abt., Orig., 89, 1923, 19.) po.ly.mor'phum. Gr. adj. poly many; Gr. noun morphe form, shape; Gr. adj. polymorphns multiform, of many shapes. Original description supplemented by material taken from Hine and Berry (Jour. Bact., 3J^, 1937, 522) and from Prevot and Peyre (Ann. Inst. Past., 7S, 1947, 1124). Rods, 0.2 to 0.5 by 8.0 to 16.0 microns, occurring in pairs with the pointed ends adjoining, often occurring in long threads (250 microns). Pronounced pleomorphism. Non-motile. Gram-negative. Neither gas nor odor is produced. Gelatin: No liquefaction. Plain agar: Slight growth. Meat infusion agar: Good growth. Serum agar plates (alkaline) : After 2 to 3 days, colonies 0.5 mm or larger in diameter, lens-shaped with offshoots. Rabbit blood (5 per cent) agar colonies: Round, 1 to 2 mm in diameter, convex, grayish white, smooth, glistening, entire. Ascitic fluid agar: Good growth. Glucose bouillon: Uniformly turbid. Peptone broth: No growth. Douglas' broth: Good growth at bottom of tube under anaerobic conditions; uniform turbidity on shaking. Tenacious sediment in liquid media. Milk: Partially coagulated. Coagulated serum or egg white: Not di- Indole not produced (Knorr) ; indole is produced (Hine and Berry, and Prevot and Peyre) . Hydrogen sulfide not produced (Knorr) ; hydrogen sulfide produced in trace amounts (Prevot and Peyre) . Acid usually produced from glucose, fruc- tose and sucrose. No acid from lactose, mal- tose, inulin or mannitol (Hine and Berry). Only glucose and fructose are fermented (Prevot and Peyre) . Neutral red is reduced.
