OBSERVATIONS ON THE GROWTH OF BACTERIA ON MEDIA CONTAINING VARIOUS ANILIN DYES

Gentian violet and allied anilin dyes have a similar influence on bacterial growth, dividing bacteria into two groups corresponding in general to their reaction to the Gram stain. Among Gram-negative bacteria a strain is occasionally encountered which will not grow on violet agar, differentiating it from other members of the same species or variety. The reaction is quantitative, although the quantitative character is more marked with some species than with others. The streptococcus-pneumococcus group differ from other Gram-positive bacteria in their ability to grow in the presence of amounts of dye sufficient to inhibit the other species. The dysentery bacillus group shows marked variation in the presence of dyes. In the case of fuchsin the variation approaches closely a specific difference between the dysentery and paradysentery groups. The variations of the latter groups with other dyes show no correlation with the common differential characteristics. A closer study might reveal variations in other characteristics which would parallel the different reactions to dyes. Decolorization with sodium sulphite robs the dyes of some of their inhibitive powers.