Morphologic Variation and the Rate of Growth of Bacteria.

Abstract

This monograph, the first of a series to be written on microbiology, represents in its substance the author's own work on the subject. Chapter 1 deals with the problem of the morphologic variation of bacteria. Several of the more recently advanced hypotheses on the nature and growth of bacteria are presented at some length. In discussing them the author criticizes particularly the assumption of these investigators that bacteria go through life cycles, because the available data are far too few and incomplete to warrant such conclusions. He then indicates the purpose of his work; namely, to make continuous quantitative observations on individuals and populations of bacteria under closely controlled conditions during all the phases of their growth. After stating the technic in considerable detail he proceeds to the study of several micro-organisms;<i>Bacillus megatherium</i>, the colon bacillus, the diphtheroid bacillus, and the cholera vibrio. Definite characteristic changes in the size