Abstract
Summary
1. Leptotrichia dentium organisms have been isolated from materia alba by plating out on Brain Liver Heart agar containing 7 μg/ml polymyxin. The efficacy of this medium resides in its content of polymyxin which permits growth of L. dentium and inhibits growth of some of the other forms commonly present in such specimens. 2. A defined medium is described which permits optimal growth of L. dentium. The medium is composed of Casamino acids, tryptophane, cystine, glucose and 5 vitamins. Of the vitamins, riboflavin and nicotinic acid are essential, whereas calcium pantothenate, biotin, and nicotinic acid are stimulatory. 3. L. dentium appeared to be non-pathogenic for rabbits. Animals given intravenously a massive dose of viable cells (1.5 × 108) survived for 28 days. Animals given equivalent dose by the subcutaneous route also survived but developed a small ulcerative lesion at site of inoculation which healed in approximately 2 weeks.
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