Gelatin: No liquefaction. Deep agar colonies: Lenticular. Some gas bubbles are produced. Blood media: No hemolysis. Glucose broth: Turbid. Acidified. Gas. Rancid odor. Peptone broth: Very poor growth. Milk: Coagulated. No digestion. Coagulated proteins not attacked. Indole not produced. Acid and gas from glucose, maltose, ga- lactose, sucrose, lactose and mannitol. Ammonia, acetylmethylcarbinol and for- mic and acetic acids are produced. Nitrites not produced from nitrates. Neutral red reduced temporarily. Safranin not reduced. Anaerobic. Grows at temperatures from 22° to 37° C. Killed at 56° C. Optimum pH, between 7.0 and 8.0. Toxin, but no hemolysin, is produced. Pathogenic. Fatal for guinea pigs and rabbits. Comments: Prevot iloc. cit.) recognizes two varieties of this species which differ from the parent strain with respect to cer- tain cultural and biochemical characters. Source: Isolated in association with mas- toiditis, otitis, pulmonary gangrene, putrid pleurisy, appendicitis, intestinal infections, balanitis, liver abscess, osteomyelitis, ■sep- ticemia, urinary infections, etc. Habitat: Found in the natural cavities of man and animals; also found in sea water. Very common. 2. Raniibacterium pleuriticum Prevot et al., 1947. (Prevot, Raynaud and Digeon, Ann. Inst. Past., 73, 1947, 481.) pleu.ri'ti.cum. Gr. fem.n. pleura a rib; M.L. adj. pleuriticus pertaining to pleurisy. Rods resemble those found in Raniibac- terium ramosum; the Y-shaped forms pre- dominate. Non-motile. Gram-positive. Gas but no odor produced in culture me- dia. Gelatin: No liquefaction. Deep agar colonies: Lenticular. Gas is produced. Glucose broth: Abundant turbidity. Rather coherent, viscous sediment. Gas is produced. Peptone broth: Slightly turbid. Gas is produced. Milk: No coagulation. Coagulated proteins not attacked. Indole not produced. Acid from glucose and galactose. One strain ferments sucrose and maltose. Ammonia, traces of hydrogen sulfide, alcohol, ketones, volatile amines and acetic, valerianic and lactic acids are produced. Acetjdmethylcarbinol not produced. Nitrites not produced from nitrates. Neutral red and safranin reduced. Anaerobic. Optimum temperature, 37° C. Optimum pH, 7.8. Not pathogenic for guinea pigs or mice. Source : Isolated from two cases of fetid, purulent pleurisy. Habitat: Found in the natural cavities of man, especially the respiratory tract. Not common. 3. Ramibacterium ramosoides (Rune- berg, 1908) Prevot, 1938. (Bacilhis ramo- soides Runeberg, Arb. a. d. path. Inst. d. Univ. Helsingfors, 2, 1908, 271; see Cent. f. Bakt., I Abt., Ref., 43, 1909, 665; Prevot, Ann. Inst. Past., 60, 1938, 296.) ra.mo.so.i'des. L. mas.n. ramus a branch; L. adj. ramosus full of branches; Gr. noun eidus form, shape; M.L. adj. ramosoides branch-like. Cells occur either as ovoids in small chains or as long elements showing what appears to be false branching; sometimes spherical. Non-motile. Gram-positive. Gas produced in moderate amounts in culture media. Gelatin: No liquefaction. Deep agar colonies: Lenticular. Some gas is produced. Brain media: Fetid odor produced. Blood media: Hemolysis. Fetid odor pro- duced. Glucose broth: Turbid. Viscous, glairy sediment. Acidified. Gas is produced. Peptone broth: Moderate growth. Milk: Coagulation in 8 days. Coagulated proteins not attacked. Indole is produced. Acid from glucose, maltose and lactose.
