BIOLOGICAL AND SEROLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF ACID-FAST BACILLI

Using the Ohtawara's modificated technique of enrichment, recommended by Sohngen, Frey and Hagan, the writer tried to isolate saprophytic acid-fast bacteria from drinking (chiefly), well, spring and hot spring waters, bath, soils, roof, plant, insect, saliva of men and dust in the air, which were collected in the city of Fukuoka and its vicinity during the period from June 19th 1936 to August 17th of the next year. He succeeded in isolating 63 strains of saprophytic acid-fast bacilli showing in those table.All the strains grew considerably faster on Petragnani's medium, glycerol potato, glycerol-agar, agar-agar, glycerol-broth, broth and pepton-water. On Petragnani's media most strains reach the maximal growth after 3 to 7 days incubation. On glycerol-potato likely they grow easily. On glycerolagar and agar-agar saprophytic forms assume less pigmentation than on Petragnani's medium, and one of them is not able to grow on the former and three on the latter. Half of all strains grow turbidly in glycerol-broth, broth and pepton-watr. Although the majority of the strains become moist and slimy, some of them retained a dry and dull surface. These straions assumed various pigmentations such as milky white, yellow, ochre, orange yellow and orange red.The size of those bacilli differed from 0, 4μ. to 6, 4μ. in length and from 0, 2μ. to 8μ. in width.