VIII. The life-history of bacterium termo and micrococcus, with further observations on bacillus

Abstract

While recently studying the phases through which the now familiar organism Bacillus antliracis passes, my attention was often directed to two still more familiar organisms, Bacterium termo and Micrococcus . Frequently from cultivations of Bacillus both rods, spores, and filaments disappeared, and in their place millions of Micrococci and the short-jointed rods of B. termo were found. In the short rods of B. termo , which in the struggle for existence overcame the less active Bacilli , minute bright particles were often present. These exactly resembled the Micrococci in the field around and between them, and were evidently the remains of spores out of which the rods had just been developed.