nose are sometimes fermented. Fermenta- tion products include formic and acetic acids (Prevot, Ann. Inst. Past., 67, 1941, 88). Neutral red broth: Changed to fluorescent yellow. Anaerobic. Temperature relations: Optimum, be- tween 36° and 38° C. Grows at 26° but not below 22° C. Survives 5 minutes at 60° C. or two minutes at 80° C. Killed in ten min- utes at 80° C. Optimum pH, between 6.0 and 8.0. Some strains are pathogenic. Distinctive characters: Ver}^ peptolytic; gas produced in peptone water with destruc- tion of the peptone. Differs from Pepto- streptococcus foetidus b}^ being morphologi- cally like a typical streptococcus. Differs from Peptostreptococcus pntridiis by its phj'siology, by its bread-crumb-like growth and by the production of gas in all media. Source: Isolated in cases of putrefactive gangrene; war wounds; uterus, lochia and blood in puerperal infections; appendicitis; pleurisy; and amniotic fluid. Habitat: Found in the mouth and intes- tines; also from the cavities of man and animals, especially the vagina. Can invade all tissues. 2. Peptostreptococcus foetidus (Veil- Ion, 1893) Smith, comb. nov. {Micrococcus foetidus Veillon, Compt. rend. Soc. Biol., Paris, 4^, 1893, 867; not Micrococcus foetidus Flugge, Die Mikroorganismen, 2 Aufl., 1886, 172; not Micrococcus foetidus Klamann, Allgem. med. Centralzeitung, 1887, 1344; Streptococcus foetidus Prevot, Ann. Sci. Nat., Ser. Bot., 15, 1933, 189; not Streptococcus foetidus Migula, Syst. d. Bakt., 2, 1900, 38.) foe'ti.dus. L. adj. foetidus stinking. Large spheres, 0.8 to 1.0 micron in diame- ter, occurring normally in short chains; also in tetrads and double or zig-zag chains. Non- motile. Gram-positive. Gelatin: No liquefaction. Semi-solid agar (Veillon): Slow growth; at first punctiform. Small colonies, }i to }-2 mm in diameter, which grow 1 to 2 cm below the surface, regular, thick, lenticular, opaque. Gas bubbles are produced. Blood agar colonies: 0.5 to 1.0 mm in di- ameter, convex, grayish, entire margin. Small, brownish hemopeptic zone around colonies. No true hemolysis. Martin broth: Poor growth; no turbidity; flakes form on wall of tube but rapidly settle to the bottom; little or no gas is produced; very faint, fetid odor. Martin glucose broth: Good growth; no turbidity; gas fetid, inflammable. Meat and liver broth: Rapid, abundant growth; abundant gas; strong, fetid odor. Milk: No acid; no coagulation. Peptone broth: Gas production is feeble. Indole not produced. Fresh organs become green, then blacken. Much gas is produced which contains hy- drogen sulfide; later the organs are grad- ually disintegrated; partial bioproteolysis and hydrogen sulfide formation. Coagulated protein is not attacked. Acid and gas from glucose, fructose, galac- tose and sucrose. No acid from lactose, malt- ose, arabinose, glycerol, mannitol, dulcitol or starch. Neutral red broth: Changed to fluorescent yellow. Anaerobic. Temperature relations: Optimum, be- tween 36° and 38° C. Feeble growth at 26° C. No growth below 22° C. Killed in one hour at 60° C. or in ten minutes at 80° C. Optimum pH, between 6.5 and 8.0. Some strains are pathogenic. Comment : A variety of this species, which differs from the parent strain in being smaller in size and in producing more gas in carbohj'drate media, has been reported by Prevot (ibid., 193). Source: First isolated from a fatal case of Ludwig's angina; also from perinephritic phlegmon, the fetid pus from Bartholin's gland, gangrene of the lung and appendi- citis. Habitat: Found in the mouth, intestines and vagina of man and animals. Common in fetid suppurations and autogenous gan- grenous processes. 3. Peptostreptococcus putridus (Schottmiiller, 1910, emend. Prevot, 1933) Smith, comb. nov. (Streptococctis putridus Schottmiiller, Mitteil. a. d. Grenzgeb. d.
