tion in 8 hours. The meat is reddened, and the liquid becomes turbid. No digestion. Anaerobic. Optimum temperature, between 35° and 37° C. Growth occurs at 50° C. An exotoxin is produced for which an anti- toxin can be prepared. Pathogenic for guinea pigs, pigeons and mice. Distinctive characters: Stormy fermenta- tion of milk; non-motile. Comments: Within this species group there exist several types established pri- marily on the basis of the variety and nature of the toxins shown to be present in culture filtrates. Some variation is reported con- cerning the morphological and physiological characteristics of this species. For a review of the characteristics of toxins, see van Hey- ningen (Bacterial Toxins., C. C Thomas, Springfield, 1950, 133 pp.) and Smith (Intro- duction to the Pathogenic Anaerobes, Uni- versity of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1955, 253 pp.). For a method of routine typing, see Oakley and Warrack (Jour. Hyg., 51, 1953, 102). Type A is the classic human gas gan- grene organism; Type B, lamb dysentery; Type C, "struck" of sheep; Type D, entero- toxemia, or "pulpy kidney" in lambs and grass sickness in horses; Type E, entero- toxemia of animals; Type F, hemorrhagic enteritis and enteritis necroticans, or "Darmbrand," of humans. Source: Isolated from cases of gaseous gangrene and from feces, milk and soil. Habitat: Widely distributed in feces, sew- age and soil. 43. Clostridium sphenoides (Bulloch et al., 1919) Bergey et al., 1923. (Bacillus sphenoides Bulloch, Bullock, Douglas, Henry, Mcintosh, O'Brien, Robertson and Wolf, Med. Res. Counc, Spec. Rept. Ser. No. 39, 1919, 43; Bergey et al.. Manual, 1st ed., 1923, 331.) sphe.no.i'des. Or. adj. sphenoides wedge- shaped. Original description supplemented by material taken from Hall (Jour. Inf. Dis., 30, 1922, 502). Small, fusiform rods in the vegetative state, occurring singly, in pairs and occa- sionally in short chains. Sporulating cells cuneate. Spores spherical, subterminal, be- coming terminal on maturation, swelling the cells. Motile. Gram-positive only in young cultures. Gelatin: No liquefaction. Agar surface colonies (anaerobic) ; Circu- lar or slightly irregular, entire. Agar deep colonies: Minute, opaque, smooth discs. Egg yolk agar surface colonies: Irregular, moist, relatively smooth to somewhat roughened, colorless, without precipitate or luster. Blood agar surface colonies (anaerobic): Minute dew-drops, becoming whitish, opaque. Hemolysis. Broth: Turbid. Litmus milk: Acid; slowly and softly coagulated. Clot not digested. Indole not produced. Indole produced by Tholby strain (Stanley and Spray, Jour. Bact., 4i, 1941, 256). Acid and gas from glucose, galactose, maltose, lactose and salicin. Inulin, glycerol and dulcitol not fermented. Strains are ap- parently variable on mannitol, sucrose, dextrin and starch fermentation. Nitrates reduced slowly, if at all; nitrites absent (Reed, Jour. Bact., U, 1942, 425). Coagulated albumin: No liquefaction. Blood serum: No liquefaction. Brain medium: No blackening or diges- tion. Anaerobic. Optimum temperature not determined. Grows well between 30° and 37° C. Not pathogenic for guinea pigs or rabbits. Source: Isolated from gangrenous war wounds. Habitat: Not determined. 44. Clostridium innominatum Prevot, 1938. (Bacillus E, Adamson, Jour. Path, and Bact., 22, 1918-19, 391; Pr6vot, Ann. Inst. Past., 61, 1938, 85.) in.no.mi.na'tum. L. adj. innominatus unnamed. Very small, thick rods, tapering at one or both ends, occurring singly, in pairs, in chains and in filaments. Involution forms abundant on glucose agar. Spores small, spherical, subterminal, swelling the cells.
