Source: Isolated from gangrene of the lung, from lochia and uterus in puerperal sepsis and from cases of appendicitis. Habitat: Found in the mouth and in- testine of man and other animals. 7. Peptostreptococcus parvulus (Wein- berg et al., 1937) Smith, comb. nov. (Strep- tococcus parvulus non liguefuciens Repaci, Compt. rend.Soc. Biol., Paris, 68, 1910, 528; Streptococcus parvulus Weinberg, Nativelle and Prevot, Les Microbes Anaerobies, 1937, 1011; not Streptococcus parvulus Levin- thai, Cent. f. Bakt., I Abt., Orig., 106, 1928, 195.) par'vu.lus. L. dim. adj. parvulus somewhat small. Small spheres which average 0.3 to 0.4 micron in diameter and which occur in short chains, sometimes in pairs. Non-mo- tile. Gram-positive. Gelatin: At 37° C., slow growth; culture at bottom of tube; no gas. No liquefaction. Deep glucose agar colonies: After 48 hours, very tiny, lenticular, whitish. Old colonies become blackened. No gas is pro- duced. Broth: Rapid turbidity; sediment forms in 5 or 6 days as a whitish, mucous mass which clears the fluid; no gas; faint, dis- agreeable odor. Milk: Coagulation in 24 hours. Indole not produced. Coagulated proteins not attacked. Glucose and lactose are feebly attacked. Does not attack sucrose, galactose or dex- trin. Fermentation products include acetic, propionic and lactic acids (Prevot, Man. d. Classif. et d. D6term. d. Bact. Anaerobies, 2« ed., 1948,59). Anaerobic. Optimum temperature, 37° C. No growth at room temperature. Will grow at 41° C. Non-pathogenic. Distinctive characters : Differs from Pep- tostreptococcus micros by its black colonies, its coagulation of milk and by its feeble saccharolytic power. Differs from Pepto- streptococcus intermedius by its black colo- nies, the smallness of its elements, its feeble saccharolytic power and by the viscous sediment it forms in broth. Relationship to other species: Veillon and Repaci identified this organism as Strep- tococcus micros, but Weinberg, Nativelle and Prevot consider it as a distinct species, although rare. Source: Isolated from the respiratory tract. Habitat: Unknown. 8. Peptostreptococcus intermedius (Prevot, 1925) Smith, comb. nov. (Strepto- coccus intermedius Prevot, Ann. Inst. Past., 39, 1925, 439.) in.ter.me'di.us. L. adj. intermedius inter- mediate. Description taken in part from Prevot (Ann. Sci. Nat., S^r. Bot., 15, 1933, 197). Spheres, 0.5 to 0.7 micron in diameter, occurring in very long chains in culture. Non-motile. Gram-positive. Gelatin: Poor growth. Semi-solid agar (Veillon) : After 24 hours, colonies 1 to 2 mm in diameter, regular, lenticular, sometimes with complex proc- esses. Blood agar: No change or slight greening. Martin broth: Rapid growth; uniform turbidity which slowly settles. Martin glucose broth: Abundant growth; abundant sediment; medium strongly acidi- fied. Peptone broth: Particulate sediment. Milk: Very acid; coagulated in 24 hours without retraction of clot; not peptonized. Serum broth (1:2): Rapid growth; coag- ulation by acidification. Indole not produced. Coagulated proteins not attacked. Acid from glucose, fructose, galactose, maltose and lactose. Fermentation products include formic, propionic and lactic acids (Prevot, Man. d. Classif. et d. Determ. d. Bact. Anaerobies, 2«ed., 1948, 60). Neutral red broth is changed to fluores- cent yellow. Anaerobic. Temperature relations: Optimum, be- tween 36° and 38° C. Poor growth at 26° C. No growth below 22° C. Killed in 30 minutes at 70° C. or in ten minutes at 80° C. Optimum pH, between 6.0 and 8.5. Some strains are pathogenic for guinea pigs and mice, causing small abscesses; sometimes kill in 48 hours.
