SALIVARY BACTERIA. III. THE PATHOGENICITY OF ORAL STAPHYLOCOCCI

¹ Jersey City, N. J.

Among the gram-positive micrococei of the oral environment, the staphylococci are commonly present. These organisms conform in all respects to the criteria for the staphylococci including the diversity of biochemical properties. There has been no definite pattern of biochemical properties observed. The oral staphylococci show the same vagaries as staphylococci reported from other sources.

It has also been observed that either urea inhibits toxigenicity of ureolytic, toxigenic organisms or the alkalinity resulting from ureolysis hydrolyzes the toxic metabolites. In either case, the addition of urea to the environment renders the filtrates of these staphylococci innocuous.