THE PRESENT STATUS OF SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY

Abstract

An address, making a plea for observance of generally accepted rules of nomenclature as applied to bacterial species. Discussion is given of the application of the law of priority to bacteriological nomenclature, of the date to be selected as a starting point for nomenclature, and of the language to be used in publication. The need for formation of an International Commission on Bacteriological Nomenclature is explained and the advantages of using type species as a means of characterizing bacteriological genera are emphasized. The increasing recognition of the desirability of breaking up the cumbersome genus Bacterium into more homogeneous units comparable in nature to genera as described in other biological subdivisions is brought out by comparison of recently suggested systems of classification.