THE FERMENTATION OF GLUCOSE BY ORGANISMS OF THE GENUS SERRATIA

Abstract

Two cultures of S. marcescens formed the following products: acetic, formic, succinic and levo-rotatory lactic acids, ethyl alcohol, acetyl methyl carbinol, 2, 3 butylene glycol, CO2 and a small amount of H. Two cultures of S. indica produced the same products except that no H was found. Two other cultures of the genus differed from each other, as well as from the 2 species named. The first of these cultures (261) produced inactive lactic acid. The other culture (K6) also produced inactive lactic acid, but in a greater proportion, and produced not more than a trace of acetyl methyl carbinol or 2, 3 butylene glycol. The cultures of the genus Serratia Bizio were found to be related in a general way to the genera Escherichia Castellani and Chalmers, Aerobacter Beijerinck, and Proteus Hauser. They are most closely related to the gelatin-liquefying species of Aerobacter. In fact, non-pig-mented strains of Serratia might properly be classed in the genus Aerobacter.