76
TABLE XI (a)—cont.
.After MacConkey (1909)—cont.
No.
L a c t o s e .
S a c c h a r o s e .
D u l c i t .
A d o n i t .
I n u l i n .
P . & V . r e a c t i o n .
I n d o l .
M o t i l i t y .
G r a m s
s t a i n .
Liqufation of gelatine. Li t mu s mi l k .
Aci di ty
i n l i t mus
whey.
R e d u c t i o n
o f n i t r a t e s .
I n o s i t .
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
*110
B.Lactis ærogenes ...
B. Vitnlorum
.
..
B. Capsulatus (Pfeiffer) ...
B. Gasiformans non -liquefaciens ...
—
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
—
—
—
— —
—
—
+
-
—
—
-
—
—
—
—
—
—
-
—
— +
+
+
+
—
-
+
—
—
—
—
—
+
+
—
—
—
—
+
+
_
—
+
—
—
—
—
—
_
—
—
..
—
—
+
—
_
+
—
...
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
%
30
12
—
25
20
. . .
. . .
+ + +
+
+
. . .
+
—
--
—
—
—
. . .
B. Coscoroba ...
...
...
...
B. Cloacæ...
...
. . . . . .
In the following remarks on the various bacilli one proviso is necessary, viz.,
we do not pretend to have made a careful study of the motility of the hundreds of
organisms we have isolated, we do not distinguish between organisms so similar, as to
differ only in this one characteristic.
Acidi Lactici (No. 1 or No. 2).––This organism is usually found in small
numbers in the fœces of man and cattle. Its presence is very constant. It has a
slight tendency to predominate numerically in the fœces of man. It is also found
in small numbers in water samples, particularly those taken from rivers and lakes.
In contaminated earth it is fairly common, and has on one occasion, been isolated from
ground, known to have been contaminated many months previous to taking the sample.
In point of power of resistance, experiments in Chapter VIII show it to be amongst
class 2, namely, those of medium powers of resistance to sunlight. Its entire absence
from the water-supplies in the first quarter shows it does not rank with class 3.
Certain analyses in Chapter VIII however show that it survives till quite late in the
exposure. A. series of experiments, not yet complete, seem to show that it is very
easily killed by dessication.
Levans No. 3.—This organism is extremely rare, only having been met with
on two or three occasions. Once it was isolated from human fœces, and once from
Ootacamund sewage. No further details can be given.
Bacillus No. 6—Is a distinctly rare organism. It was isolated once from
human fœces. It is very much more common in water, and the sunlight experiments
showed that it was not infrequently met with. It has been found in both cowdung
and human fœces. The following facts show that although of medium resisting
power (class 2) it more nearly approaches that of class 3 ; for, firstly, it was prevalent
in the first quarter of the year, in both rivers and lakes ; and, secondly, it occasionally
has been known to resist the action of sunlight till late on in the exposure.
Grunthal and Castellus (No. 4), Vesiculosus (No. 5), No. 7 and No. 8 C o l i
Mutabilis.—This is probably the most important group from a numerical point of view
in the whole table. It is decidedly unsatisfactory that our methods have not been
more thorough in differentiating between the organisms Nos. 4, 5, 7 and 8. Dif-
ferentiation depends on indol and motility only. By far the majority of the organisms
are non-motile in the first cultivation, and most, in our recent work, give indol. Hence
Vesiculosus probably predominates. This little group of organisms is most common
in the fœces of man, cows and goats. It usually accounts for 30 to 50 per cent of
all organisms present in these. Consequently it is also very common in water samples.
It has been isolated from polluted earth in large numbers, and our experiments tend
to show that it is capable of living in the ground for two or three years. One or two
organisms in this group (probably Nos. 5, 7 or 8) are very resistant to the action of
sunlight, for they show great powers of persisting in a well-sunned and stored water.
The results obtained in Chapters VIII and X demonstrate this fact. It is necessary