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BIOLOGICAL STUDIES OX THE BACTERIA OF THE MOUTH. 71

regarded as the swarm-spores of Leptothrix bnccalis, the immc-
tile (cocci, etc.) as the spores at rest. " Elements of Leptothrix
buccalis" were found everywhere.
Leber and Eottenstein^^ considered "a beautiful violet color
produced by iodine and acids" as characteristic of Leptothrix
buccalis, but we may easily convince ourselves that several
bacteria possessing this reaction occur in the mouth, and conse-
quently this does not especially characterize any particular kind.
Leptothrix buccalis is now usually described as long, thin,
apparently inarticulate threads, etc., while mouth-bacteria which
show the iodine reaction are distinctly and regularly articulated.
VignaP^ has obtained in pure culture from the mouth a bac-
terium which ho calls Leptothrix buccalis. It is characterized
by " la presence ct Vintiricar cles bdtonnets de cloisons transrersales
siii' les 'preparations colorees avec les coalears d' aniline.''' Robin,^ on
the contrary, writes, " Onne rernarque pas trace d'articulation dans
toufe learlonr/necr." It is not stated whether this micro-organism
cultivated by Yignal shows the iodine reaction or not. In short,
the name Leptothrix buccalis designates no particular organism
possessing peculiar characteristics, and the name deserves to be
retained as little as " denticola," " Blihlmann's fibers," etc. ; the
more so, since it has always been the expression for an obscure
and erroneous conception. Morphologically, as well as physi-
ologically considered, Leptothrix buccalis has been regarded as
a veritable wonder. It has been said to perforate and split up
teeth, its elements to cause all kinds of diseases in the oral cav-
ity, to penetrate into the lungs, the stomach, and other parts of
the body, and everywhere to manifest a destructive infiuence.
As absolutely nothing was known concerning the biology and
pathogenesis of this organism, all sorts of wonderful properties
were ascribed to it. It is therefore high time to banish this
confusing name from bacteriological writings.* For those
bacteria growing in threads, whose biology is too little known
to define their relation to other mouth-bacteria, or to form a
* Equally objectionable is the inclination of some observers to clas^ everything
showing a slight contraction in the middle as Bacterium termo. This is also a
term which, on account of its application by different authors to very different
organisms, might well be dispensed with.