Cultural characteristics of certain pathogenic anaerobes isolated from sheep by Theodore Thomas Chaddock A THESIS Submitted to the Graduate Committee in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Bacteriology at Montana State College Montana State University © Copyright by Theodore Thomas Chaddock (1935) Abstract: 1. Three anaerobes isolated from sheep suspected of having died of a disease resembling "black disease" were studied© These were com-pared with a New Zealand strain 7 which had been isolated from a known ease of "black disease". 2. A brain-liver broth medium with a pH of 7.2- 7.4, consisting of minced beef brain, liver broth plus 0.1 per cent dextrose, an iron Wire, and .5 cc. laked sheep blood, was found to produce optimum growth© 3. Optimum growth conditions were determined by direct counts of bacteria in definite quantities of culture media. 4. A medium composed of a sugar free broth, laked sheep blood and an iron wire was found to favor optimum growth in carbohydrate test cultures. 5. Two strains (572 and 591) proved to be Clostridium sporogenes, while strain 590 was Clostridium oedematiens and identical with strain 7. 6. It could not be demonstrated that immunity could be produced by bacterins prepared from strain 590 of Clostridium oedemations. CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CERTAIN PATHOGENIC ANAEROBES ISOLATED FROM SHEEP by Theodore T 0 Chaddoek A THESIS Submitted to the Graduate Committee in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Bacteriology a t Montana State College Bqkeman8 Montana June8 19S5 a** •2** TABLE OP CONTENTS Ie I n t r o d u c t i o n .......... . . ......... ................ . IIe Methods of procedure............................ ............. A. Morphology and staining ................... . 1. Size ..................... 6 2. Shape ............. 6 3. Motility ............................................ 6 4. Staining ................................. 6 5. Sporulation ........... 7 a. Factors favoring s p e c u l a t i o n ........... 7 b. Position of the spore . 7 ......... . ^vft^o-r B. Physiology ......... .............. . 'rr 6 6 6. Colony characteristics in deep agar ................. I 9 '35 Page 5 7 7 1. Nutritional requirements ......................... 7 a. Description of medium for optimum growth ......... 8 b* Methods of determining best medium .••••••........ 8 2. Bioohemic r e a c t i o n s . . . . . ......... 9 .. ..... 9 a. Oxidation and reduction .................. I 1. Carbohydrates, Table No. I .......... . 10 a*. Carbon dioxide formation ................. 11 b *. Acid formation ............................... 10 2*. Proteolysis .................................... H a ** Hydrogen sulphide formation .............. 11 I*. Blackening of brain 5 0 4 8 3 H =4529 Page GLOtIOH T) % o o oo o o o o o » o o o o o o o e e 6 o o O^o ^KotiOH OH. Xli^nms imXlC d% Coagulated serum liquefaction © o ooooooeoooooeeoedo 11 12 ©eeooooeoeeo 12' Oxygen requirements oooooooeoeoooooeoooeoeaooo 12 Co Table Ho© IIj? Morphology and cultural reactions of organisms isolated from sheep dead of suspected "black Do d i s e a s e " o © & o © o o o o o « * o o « 6 o o * i> o o t > o © e o o o o o o & o o <i o o © o & o © o o o © o 13 Pathogenic ity 14 0 0 0 © 0 0 0 0 ©-*0 0 0 0 © 0 © 0 0 © 0 0 0 0 0 o o o o o 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 I X e - E x p © I * X lT lS I ltE L X S V X G L S H lC S o o o o o o o o o o o o o o d o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o .14 Z q L o s s of pathogenicity on artificial media osooooooot . ® 14 3 o .Maintenance of pathogenicity oeo&ooooooeoo-eeeoeoooooe 14 Toxin production X Q -Preparation o o o ie-e O'OvO o o o e o o e o o o e e o o e- e o o o o e a o o e o o o o @ o @ 9 0 0 0 o o o o o o p o @ @ o o @ o o o o o o c g o *c * o » & o » o»oo a o Kind of toxin o o o o e o o e e o e o o e o e o e e d o o . e e . e o o e o ’o o o e o o o D O Sage 2*o T im e 3*0 B e s n X ts P O X m m n n ity 14 15 &q oooooooeooeoooooooeoo 16 o o »-o o o-o o o -o .o-o o o o o e o o e o o o o-o o o e e - o o o e o o o o o o 15 ho Tests for toxin production 1*0 14 o o o o o o o o o o o e o o.e o e b o o o o o o o o o o o o o e o-o 15 o o o o o o o e o o o o o o e o o o o o o o o o o o o o e o o o-o o e-e O o 15 lim its OO © o o o-o o o o o o e o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o ©o 15 o o o o o o o o o o o e ,o o o o 'o o o o o o e o © 16 X o .Preparation of a formolized whole culture bacteria 2 o Immunization of guinea pigs 15 3« Inoculation of immunized animals o-o o o-oo-ooooooeooooooo 16 Go Identification of the organisms oo-oooo©o.ooooooooooooooo© 16 I 0 According to H a l l ’s sporulating anaerobic key ©ooooeo 17 I(!I-'I'i v:i l ti- ; .IiUHiI • . < -I O Page I I I o D n S O tiS S lO X l o o o o o o 0-0 O o o o e o o o e O o o ^ o o o o o o o e c o e 0-0 o d o o o o o o o o e<o 18 Ao Relative to the comparison of the organisms oooeoooe.*.* 18 B o Relative to experiments performed *oooooopoooooooooooooo,18 C 0 Relative to variation in reactions different f r o m those obtained b y other investigators. Table R o 0 III o*.o.«oo 19 IVo Stuumary and Conclusions oooooooooooo@ooooQoo@@oo*oeoooeoooe 21 V 0 Literature cited o o o o o e o o o o e o o o o o o o-o © o o o e e o o e o o e e o o © © o o © o o O x. xC I INTRODUCTION A disease of sheep occurring in western Montana has been investi­ gated by the Montana Veterinary Research Laboratory, This disease had the characteristics of the "black disease" of sheep described b y Turner (10S I l p 12) and Albiston (l) in Australia® The data recorded in this paper are derived from a study of the disease as it occurred in Montana and deals only with the identifieation and cultural characteristics of organisms which were isolated from sheep that had died of a disease which resembled "black disease"® METHODS OF PROCEDURE Strains 572» 590» and 591 were obtained from the livers of two sheep dying of suspected black disease*. Strain 7 was obtained from New Zealand and used as a 'control throughout the worke Morphology and staining. These organisms are among the larger anaerobes® Strain 572 measured 8 to 8®2 microns in length and I micron in width® ... Strain 591 measured 5 to 10 microns in length and I to 1®5 microns in width® Strain 590 measured 4®5 to 6®7 microns in length and ®8 to le2’ microns in width® Strain 7 measured I 0S to 5®5 microns in length and ®8 to I micron in width® In young cultures» in a modified brain=!iver broth medium (see page 8 ) the rods usually occurred singly or in filamentous chains of from 2 to 5 individuals® In a medium favoring growth the organisms occurred singly or in pairs, while in an inhibiting medium there was a tendency for the development of filaments® In hanging drop preparationss the organism" showed sluggish motil® ity® The bacilli in the vegetative state, stained readily with the ' most of the ordinary staining reagents and were gram positives but showed a tendency# as the age of the culture increased* to lose the ability to retain the crystal violet Stain0 Spores formed readily in modified brain-liver broth medium and were located Subterminally0 tended the vegetative rode They were more oval than elliptical and dis­ In other kinds of m e d i a 'spore formation was greatly diminished or entirely Iacking0 The colonies of 572 in deep agar were roughly spherical and clus­ tered* Those of 591 were small# compact# and roughly spherical$ those of 590 were small# compact and roughly spherical with woolly borders; those of 7 were small# compact and roughly spherical with woolly borderso The above description of the organisms w as based upon the w o r k of Heller (s) on the.colony formation of anaerobes in deep agar® Physiology. Nutritional requirements. The bacilli required anaerobic conditions# a rather narrow hydrogen ion range# and a high concentration of protein in the medium* In the preliminary work# H a l l tS brain medium wa s used but growth of the organ­ isms was insufficient for investigational purposes* After surveying the literature relative to the conditions favoring the development of the organism causing "black disease" in sheep# thirty-four different kinds of media were inoculated, and the results were noted* F r o m these# a m e d ­ ium was selected which favored the m aximum growth of the organisms and / ' ■ which later proved to be the best for practical purposes® This was de­ termined by the variation of BreedtS direct microscopic counts (S) as stated b y Schaeffer and Fulton (?) in the staining of endosporeso means of a platinum loop of d By ee» capacity9 films from the agitated culture were spread over an area of I s q 0 cm* on a slide and allowed to air d r y 0 This was then flooded with a malachite green solution and heat« ted to steaming three or four times within one half minuteo stain was washed under the tap for about one half m i n u t e o The excess A O 0OS per cent aqueous, safranine solution was then applied for one half minute after which the specimen was washed, blotted and dried© B y taking the average of bo t h vegetative and spore forms of ten fields, it was possible to determine which m e d i u m favored sufficient growth for the study of the organisms and which did not© It w a s found that the best growth occurred in a modified-brain liver broth medium© This consisted of O 0I g m 0 dextrose, 50 gm® of fine=- Iy minced beef brain and 100 ce0 of liver brotho The pH of the medium was adjusted so as to give a pH of 7 02 » 7o4 after forty five minutes of sterilization at IlS0C 0 at 15 pounds pressure© The finer the brain was minced, the more luxuriant the growth of the organisms© About 5 grams of the minced brain w a s placed in a culture tube to which 10 ec® of liver broth w a s added® A two inch piece of iron wire introduced into the medium was found to be a factor which affected the growth of the organisms0 Scott and Brandly (.9) recommended the use of reduced iron for the culti­ vation of anaerobic organisms© Reduced iron was substituted for the iron wire b u t gave negative results as did also ferric ammonium citrate© One half cubic centimeter of sterile laked sheep blood was added aseptically to each tube after sterilization, followed b y an incubation test of «9 forty eight hour8 o This culture medium greatly increased the growth of the orgatiismsB so it was used throughout the work as the basic culture mediuuie Reduction of carbohydrate s<> A sugar free broth was prepared b y the inocula tion of a flask of hormone broth w i t h a culture of Clostridium welchiio This was incubated for a period of four days until it was thought that complete reduction had taken places It was then clarified b y the addition of a whipped egg, followed by one hour of sterilization which killed the organisms and coagulated the. egg» The reaction wa s adjusted to give a pH of 7®2 after the final sterilization* After heating again for twenty minutes8 the reduced broth w a s filtered through cotton and filter paper* Since the addition of the laked sheep blood,- appeared necessary for active growths the question arose as to whether the carbohydrates contained in the blood would lower the pH of the medium* the case* This was found not to be To this medium was added an iron wire* and l/2 cc* of sterile laked, sheep blood in Dunham's fermentation tubes for the carbohydrate tests. The sterile Iaked8 sheep blood and l/2 cc* of a sterile, 15 per cent solution of each carbohydrate used was added aseptically* This was then sterilized for twenty minutes at IlS0 C* at 15 pounds pressure* The test for sterility consisted of incubation for 48 hours, after the addi­ tion of the sugars and laked blood® „ The presence of the laked b l o o d y precluded the use .of an indi­ cator, So determination of dcid.prociuetion of the carbohydrates was made -XO on each test "by use of the L a Motte shell vial hydrogen ion set using the indicators necessary to cover the various hydrogen ion rangeS0 Table H o 0 Io I' Strain 572 % Dextrose : ■fr 8 i 8 ' S S 4- 8 ®» % $ Sucrose Glycerine Galactose $ S i es •4 $ 4- 4- 4 S 8 -5- 8 8 .Hh t 8 ■8 S; i 8 % 8 : $ S $ 8 I S 8 $ Mannose Xylose Dulcite Arabinose Mannite 8 8 t $ Raffinose S •; 8 8 8: 8 8 8 8 8; + 8 18 8 aa 8 -8 ess « 6» 8 S ■¥ 8 8 S . 8 S aa 8 8 S Strain 7 S18 8. 4 S CS ^ 8 8 t = 8 4 t: 8 I 4 S $ S 4 8 1 8 m 8 8 « 8. 4- 8 4 8 CO • 8 8 8 8 8 ■8: 8 8: 8 OD 8 $ S 8 8 8 8 i S t ■4 8 s. ■S'. Sorbite ■=> S 8 Inulin 8 8 8 8. 8 8 M 8 S Saliein 4- e* S Levulose % % S S Maltose Strain 590 Strain 591 \ 8 I t Lactose S $ S Carbohydrate Reduction of Carbohydrates «a £* 8: 4CS 8 8 8 8 8 I S Control I' 8 8 <=3 S 8 8 -S 3 S 8 s: 8 -8 £ S £ £ $ £ £ $ S ■8 8 t 8 £ W •= - 8 £ ea e» - 3 £ 3 £ 8 I + = acid » " no acid produced Bach test was made in duplicate with the corresponding uninocula­ ted carbohydrate control and the experiment was repeated as a checks VI "lire The pH of each culture was determined every five days for fifteen days6 Ho gas production b y any of the strains in the different carbohydrates was not e d o Proteolysis Hydrogen sulphide formation® The basic m e d i u m previously described was used® A small strip of lead acetate paper, held in place by the cotton plug, was suspended in the culture tube about one centimeter above the surface of the medium@ Strains 572 and 591 blackened the lead acetate paper within 5=5 days indicating a distinct production of hydrogen sulphide® Strains 590 and 7 did not blacken the lead acetate paper within that time b ut showed a partial reaction 10«>14 days latero. To demonstrate the blackening of brain, a medium consisting of minced b e e f brain cooked in an Arnold for thirty minutes was used® The water content of the med i u m was separated and to it I per cent dextrose was added® The brain and the water w e r e then mixed and tubed® A n iron wire was placed in each tube and the medium was then sterilized for forty five minutes at IlS0 C ® at 15 pounds pressure® Strains 572 and 591 showed distinct blackening of the brain, but strains 590 and 7 did note A 10 per cent nutrient gelatin medi u m having a pH of 7e4 after sterilization was used to determine gelatin liquefaction® made at 37°C osiat approximately 26°C. and at IS0C o Tests were Strains 572 and 591 liquefied the gelatin at all temperatures and turned the sediment black# while strains 590 and 7 neither, liquefied the gelatin nor turned the sediment b Iack0 Action on litmus milk* Twenty cubic centimeters per liter of a neutral, aqueous solution of litmus added to skimmed milk was used to determine the action of the organisms on this medium® Strains 572 and 591 in two days reduced the litmus, coagulated the m i l k and showed much proteolytic action b y completely digesting the curd® . Strains 590 and 7 did not reduce the litmus and showed no coagula­ tion or proteolytic effects upon the m i l k within 10=14 days® To determine whether growth had taken place, smears made from strains 590 and 7 showed that moderate growth was present and after two weeks some slight change to acid in the litmus m i l k was noted® Coagulation serum liquefaction® .Sterile horse serum was placed in sterile, plugged tubes, and co­ agulated serum slants were made b y heating in an inspissator® were inoculated f r o m recent transfers of the organisms® Wright meth o d for anaerobiosis were made. cheeks on the first results® These slants Cultures by the Tests were twice repeated as Strains 572 and 591 showed nearly complete liquefaction within 7-10 days while strains 590 and 7 did not® Oxygen requirements® All four strains were strict anaerobes. There was no growth on the surface of solid media in the presence of air® Table Ho® II summarises the morphologic and cultural characteris­ tics of the organisms® i' ®i3«j; Table Ho® IIe Morphology and cultural reactions of organisms isolated from sheep dead of suspected "black disease", $■ 8 a S - 'f, S 3 £ $! 8 8 S ^«0 S £3 0 ® Ill _____S 8 §> E q f i © ©“ 5 ® 5 H Sn t i , O W D 11 .PO' . © 3- sDeep Agart 3Litmus .$ HgS for= s Colony t Gelatin s Milk t mation $Boughly s tCoagula3 sspheriealtLiquefied £ ted 0 Oval 8 4- 3clustered8Sediment sLitmus sProbablyi Subter4° 3 sappear= sblack 3reduced si 3 sRounded £ due to S minal S Sj 3 Sance5 Gass 2 Curd di3 s age of S1 sends Sr £ s sgested s, 3 sculture £ $ flObecaei G e o e «>•»•■©»*» 8 8Small5 8 3 Coagulated 3 8 sRods s; ■* : 3 3: Oval Scompaot5 s sLitmus 8 sLo 3=10|i 3 £ sroughly sLiquefiedsreducedo S Subter= 3 .3 sWo 1=1o5|JL £ 8 sGram 4* 3 minal £ 4- 8sphericalsSediment 3Curd di= 48 591 sRounded 3 s Somewlmt Sblack Sgested0 3 sand cen= 3 sends '■ • S£ 3 8 3 3 S tral 3woolly & 8 £ S sborders s s £ 8 3 3 QQ69 » SBea CS«3 O 33 3 sRoughly sLiquefiedsNo coagu= 3 S Oval sfiods Slight. s Subter= s . 3 sphericalsSediment sIation sLo4:o Se9SoTlJL= blackenings minal s + sclusteredsnot very sHo litmus 590 sWa o8=lo2{l8Gram *}■ as the ages s 3 appear= sblack sreductiono s $ of culture $ Sance5 Gass sHo curd 3. S » increased £ 3 s sdigestion ,8 3 0 9 s 8 4- s 3 S O- £ *, 8 s i s ra*© . w . © . © S O « M 8 W 8 #3 k:' ^3- 0 0 3=3 = s -ISs -p S* g - 7 8 ^t-LoloS091SoSlJLS sTlioo8=>l^ tGra m 4S' S 3 £ 8 S ’ i! 1=1=: 1 S;i; 3:1 a" • 3 : ■ 4- t ! = *= 3 4-84S ■£ : 3 3 3 8 3 3 3 S =§= S- 0 S-«» S £ 3 3 3 3 ' 4» 8 S S 8 3 f =»34-3= 3 3 3 S 3. £ $ S 3 S S = 8= £ i 3 4- s 4- > 8 4“ 3' = 3 s i 3 3 3 3 3 S- 3 3 4° 3 = 3 3 3 3 S 3 3 3 S 3 £ 3 £ 3 3 8. £ £ : 3 3 3 ■ a S ^ S m S e o S 43. £ S S 3 £ 5.. 3 3 3 4- 3 4 - $ 8 3' 3 £ 8- £. 8 £ 8, 8," 3 3 8J-i 'I:I 3:4:1 £ & 3 3 S S = £ 4- 3 =» S== S = 3 8 8 8 S S S 8, 3<oe*:00 3 3sx 3 eo eo 3 6»e *a «n «»«a 3 3 S S ts ;i1t 1 £ © © S- ® 8 --rp -3 -. £ „ S-p -. O S3z,g l 0 S-Ss^ t$lf rt s 3 S 4S £ £ 3 3 8 t b £ £ S 3 S S S t S S S S 8 a, 3 = 3 = £ 3 8. 3. : S S S 8 £ S 3 3 £ 3 £ : s s s £ 3 = 3 = £= £ = S 4* 3 3 3 3 : £ 3 3 3 3 3 £ 3 3 S 8 £ Baaeem eao oeocseaee o - e 3 { n a a * e » f c s * 4 » e » =»*»*»a * * © eewea c»es»«o«ie iRods 3 t s ® 8 :sSmall sLiquefiedsHo coagu= Slight t 8 S Oval scompact sSediment slation blackenings Subter- S 4» !Roughly snot very tHo litmus s as the ages S 8 minal ssphericalsblack sreductiono * of culture s £ S sWoolIy s sHo curd increased s 3 8 sborders £ Sdigestion0 s 8 3 3 8 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4" S Oa- 5 «a S 3 3 3 3 3 : 8 3 3 3 3 3 3 S- 8. 3- I = £4- $ = 3 3 3 3 3 8. 3; '3 3 4-S-4- S £ £8 8 3 8» 3 3 8 IS 8 £ 3 8 £ £ 8 £ £ £ 3 4- 8.= 3-« 8:«=•3 =- 8 ca 3 8 8 3 3 8 8 3 8 3.8 £ 3 S ■’ 8 8 i S S’-£ «»14® Pathogenicityo Strains 572 and 591 were at all times nonpathogenie for guinea pigs while strains 590 and 7 were pathogenic® Pathogenic strains were kept available b y increasing the pathogenicity of the cultures b y guinea pig inoeulationo The organisms were recovered after the death of the animals, purified and many cultures sealed for storage» Sealed cultures in storage retained their pathogen­ icity 9 b u t those repeatedly transferred on artificial media lost it© Guinea pigs inoculated intramuscularly with »2 ce© to I ee. of a twenty-four hour, culture in the modified brain-liver broth medium usually succumbed in 18 to 24 hours© of death© Smaller doses prolonged the time There was pronounced Swelling9 the edema extending from the inoculated hind leg to the sternum in some eases© of gas in the tissues© There was no evidence The subcutaneous tissues of the inoculated leg and the abdomen were infiltrated with a clear jelly-like exudate © Some cases showed a slightly blood tinged exudate hear the site of inoculation® The abdominal viscera were congested© The stomach and small intestine® were inflamed and Congested9 w i th small hemorrhagic areas© The spleen and liver appeared normal© but the organism.generally could be recovered from the liver© It w a s readily obtained near the site of inoculation® There was little excess of pleural fluid and the lungs appeared to be normal w i t h no hemorrhages visible® Toxin production© Filtrates were prepared from.cultures of strains 590 and 7 grown -<=15,M. in peptic digest brotho This was prepared by mincing 250 gm© of pig's stomach, 250 g m 0 of beef, and 250 gm© of beef liver® A liter of water plus 2 per cent hydrochloric acid was added to this mi x t u r e © This m a ­ terial was thoroughly mixed and held at SS0C 0 for 24 hours, and then raised to SO0C 0 for fifteen minutes© vated the enzymes present© The increased temperature inacti­ The flask of material w as then removed from the br o t h and allowed to stand for two hours© poured off and the pH adjusted to 7<,4® The clear fluid was then After heating for fifteen minutes this was filtered through pa p e r 0 Three filtrate cultures were made of each-strain® using for the toxin producing media, peptic digest broth, modified brain-liver broth and hormone broth plus O 0I per cent dextrose© were filtered through Berkefeld V candles© Forty-eight hour cultures After sterility had been proven, six 250 gm® guinea pigs were inoculated intramuscularly with the filtrates in I e c 0 doses© Guinea pigs were inoculated w i t h filtrates from, cultures of b o t h strains 590 and 7 grown in each of the three media® All tests for toxic effects of the above strains on guinea pigs were negative© The experiment was repeated using the same filtrates® "White mice were inoculated subcutaneously with 1/2 cc© of the filtrates produced from each strain© Ho toxic effects were noted and the results for toxin production were recorded as negative© Immunity© Formoliaed whole-culture baeterins were prepared from active cultures of strains 590 and 7© A t intervals over a period of three w e e k s # M n r =ISira cultures were made from the bacteria to ascertain if the added O 0S per cent for mo Iin had killed the organisms© TOxen the organisms no longer grew on a suitable medium, and therefore considered deads 250 g m e guinea pigs w e r e given repeated injections© The initial dosage of 0e25 oco of the bacterin was increased to I oc0 day intervals were given* Four injections at five Following this treatment the two groups of injected guinea pigs were inoculated w i t h *05 c c 0 and ©025 ce* of viru­ lent culture respectfullyo Controls were given ©025 CO*, the amount previously shown to be more than the minimum lethal dose© All the bae» terinised guinea pigs and the controls died within 48 hours© There did not seem to be any difference between the bac ter ini zed and control groups© These results led to the conclusion,that the methods of immunizing and the type of immunizing material used gave no protection to the animals© Identification of the organisms. The first step was to separate the proteolytic, from the nonproteolytic strains e Strains 572 and 591 were proteolytic while strains 590 and 7 were nonproteolytic * on the followingi Identification of the organisms was based morphology, character of the vegetative and spore forms, motility, cultural reactions, action on proteins, action on the carbohydrates, and pathogenicity© Identification was based on the chart given b e l o w which was taken from H a l l ’s sporul&ting anaerobic key (4)© M(Spores subterminal rarely central; always when mature swelling the rods into elostridiumso Motile rods »1?« Coagulated albumin liquefied? brain blackened? gelatin Iiquefied0 Lactose fermented - , e s o e * . B 0 aerofetidus* Lactose not fermented 0 f Filtrates toxic for guinea pigs on feeding <===== B^0 botulInus3 Toxic for chickens e»e*e»*oea«os»eaw«<»«»e»weee«ee»«»eee»«»««i«ae»o»m type Ao Slightly or non toxic for chickens type B 0 Filtrates non toxic on feedings; Cultures pathogenic on injection of I cco action peculiar to this species ■»»— — or less? lytic «— B 0 his to Iyticus0 Cultures non pathogenic except in large doses =- B^0 sporogenes0 Coagulated albumin not liquefied? brain not blackened® Gelatin liquefied? usually pathogenic for guinea pigs (see B 0 novyi)« Lactose fermented0 Saccharose fermented? salicin not fermented Saccharose n o t fermented? salicin fermented Lactose not f ermented B 0 chauvaei0 Vibrion septIqttec, B0 ^ Strains 572 and 591 may, by the use of this key, be identified as irogenes while strains 590 and 7 fall under the classifies® tion of Clostridium n o v y i o •"3L8*" DISCUSSION Sine© strains 572 and 592 have b e e n determined to be Clostridinm sporogenesg they m a y be considered of no significance in relation to black disease» Strains 590 and 7 were considered to be same species with some slight differences in the fermentation of the carbohydrates0 The cultural characteristics of both organisms were Identical9 and th© only variation in the fermentation reactions was that strain 590 fer­ mented inulin and 7 did note Strain 590 was slightly longer than strain 7 0 Otherwise no differ= ences in morphology were n o t e d o Both strains were subjected to the different tests at the same time* Duplicate tests and:.controls; were made in each © a s e 0 Much of the cultural w o r k was based on the work of Turner (IO6 Ilfl 12) and Hall (5)o The 590 strain compared favorably w i t h the strains isolated by Turner and Hall in respect to cultural reactions* b u t appeared to b e smaller in Sise0 There were some differences in the fermentation reactions be= tween strain 590 and the organism isolated b y Turner0 Strain 590 fer»- mented dextrose* maltose* glycerin* Ievulosefl mannose0 and Inulinfl while the strain ( B 0 D 0 8) of Turner of Clostridium oedematlens fermented glucose* maltose, levulose*.and galactose, with;no fermentation of glyeer-x ine0 Table $To» III shows the comparison of the 590 strain with other strains of similar organismsc According to Turner (12) the strains listed, in this table include one human ( llEeinbergn)? one equine ( nB 0 —19novyl 139” ), and eight strains isolated from ”black disease”, whose re­ actions were identical and are listed as B.D. 8, Other strains recorded for comparison are, one strain described by Edgar (B . D . bacillus), two strains described by Zeissler (^. oodematiens and g i g a s ), Clostridium oedematiens described by Bergey (2) and a strain described by McEwen (6) (B. paludis) isolated from sheep. Table No. III. * ® S O *o $ «4 8 «S S §\s £ ::::*:*:::::** :$ —*+:-:—:+*—*— :**::%:::*:*** :* : :O ;$ N e w Zealand Strain 7 Montana Strain 590 ’•Weinberg” !+!-!-!tI-X1*!-,'0!0!0!-!0! 7: 7:O ”B.D. 8 ” I+:-:":'1-:"-*4-*+':-:0*0*0:**0: O t : : * :: : : : :: : :* N e w South Wales *:0:O Edgar. B.D. bacillus * + : - * - * + : ° * : : 7 , 7 7 7 : : :O ZeIssfer. 6. oeSeina- I : 7 : : 7 7 tiens :* Zeissler* B. gigas !+i-:-:-:-:±i+!-i-;o:o;-i°:"****O :: B e r g e y 1sManual of D e - I * * : * * * * * * * * * * ter min ative Bacteriology* +* -:-*+*-*+*+*-*-*-*-*-*-* * :Clostridium Oedematiens: ::**:::::*:*: * : : : :* * * * : t t s : t : McEwen t 4 ! 4':4':"*"t4-*4-:4-: t t * : * : B. Paludis +=definite acidity. - =no acidity. O =not tried. Hall nNovyi 139” wk. = weak acidity production I •»20" F r o m the above table it may be seen that the Montana 590 strain w a s nearly identical in reaction with some that are listed, b ut differs in otherSe According to Bergey (2) Clostridium oedematiens ferments dextrose, maltose, galactose and levulose* ment galactose® The 590 strain did not fer® In addition to fermenting dextrose, maltose, and l e w ® lose, it fermented glycerine, mannose and Inulin6 Scott (s) (9) stated that the different media that have been ree® ommended for the production of toxins b y anaerobes have failed to reveal the presence of such toxins® This m ay explain w hy the 590 strain did not produce a toxin® F r o m a survey of the literature concerning the cultural and fer® mentation reactions of Clostridium oedematiens, it is to b e noted that strain 590 compared favorably with the cultural reactions stated by other investigators, b u t that there was some difference in the sacchar® olytic properties® »21“ SUMMARY AKD COKCLUSIOKS I0 Three anaerobes isolated from, sheep suspected of a disease resembling "black disease" were studied* of having died These were com® pared with a K e w Zealand strain 7 which had b e e n isolated from a known ease of "black disease"© 2o A brain-liver broth m e dium w i t h a pH of 7a2 - 7*4» consisting of minced beef brain, liver b r o t h plus O 0I per cent dextrosea an iron wire* and »5 e o 0 laked sheep blood, was found to produce optimum growth* 3 o Optimum growth conditions were determined b y direct counts of bacteria in definite quantities, of culture media® 4© A medium composed of a sugar free broth* laked sheep blood and an iron wire wa s found to favor optimum growth in carbohydrate test culturesc 5 o Two strains (572 and 591) proved to be Clostridium sporogenes, while strain 590 w a s Olostridium oedematiens and identical w i t h strain 7« 6 e It could not be demonstrated that immunity could b e produced b y bacterins prepared from strain 590 of Clostridium oedematiensp =»22c» LITERAIURB. CITED Io AIbiston9 H 0 E 0 Infectious necrotic hepatitis of sheep in Victoria* A Hraxy-=Iike sheep disease= Australian Jour0 Exper0 Biolo & M e d 0 Sci*, 1927» 4 t 114-125« 2» Bergey9 David H 0 et al* 478-480o So Bread9 R 0 S0 / .Man= Deter = B a e t 09 1934» 4th Edition8 Breed (1911-1918) method for direct microscopic counts» .Jour® B a c t 09 1933» 26$548o 4o H a l l s I 0 C 0 .Differentiation and identification of the sporulating anaerobeso Jour= Infect* D i s 69 1922» 30$445"504o i 5* Heller9 H c H 6 The study of colony formation in deep a g a r 0 Studies on pathogenic anaerobes V I 0 Jour0 Infeet0 D i s 09 1922» 30$.l-18o 6® McEwen9 A 0 D 0 A n e w species of pathogenic anaerobic bacterium. - B 0 p a ludls* Jourc of Cesnp0 P a t h 0 & Therap09 1931» 44$ 1- 21» 7 o Schaeffer» A= B 08 and Fultons M 0 A simplified method of staining endospores= Scios 1933» 77s:194o 8 0 Scotts J 0 P 0 and Bran d l y 9 C 0 Ao The use of reduced iron for the cul­ tivation of anaerobic organisms0 Jour0 of Bactos 1933# 26$1-7o 9o Scotts J» P 0 The etiology of blackleg and methods of differentiating C l o s 0 ehauvaei from other anaerobic organisms found in oases of b l a cklegc Cornell Vet0 » 1928» 18$259-271» I O 0 T u r n e r » A 0 W 0 and Davesnes J0 Role du B= oedematiens dans I' etiologi© de 1 ’hepatite infectiense neerosante (braxy) du moutbn Australian© The role of B 0 oedematiens in the etiology of infectious necrotic hepatitis "(braxy) of Australian Sheep0 A t m 0 de I 8Inst0 P asteur09 1927» 41$1078-1095a I l 0 Turner9 A© W 0 Hepatite infectiense nierosante (b r a x y » black disease) du mouton Australian© Braxy8 black, disease of Austra­ lian sheep= A n n 0 de I 8Inst0 Pasteur09 1928» 42s211-2240 12d T u r n e r s A© Wo Black disease (infectious necrotic hepatitis) of sheep in Australia* Coun* for Sei6 and I n d 0 R e s 0fl 1930» Bulletin 46$5-139® -- GttItural oharacte certain pathogenic anaerooes FE