Glossary

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  • Maxted’s method

    A means of preparing streptococci for Lancefield grouping, the organisms being lysed with a culture filtrate of Streptomyces albus.  

  • Mandler filter

    American bacteriological filter similar in type to the Berkefeld filters.  

  • Malonate test

    Characterization test of the ability of an enterobacterium to utilize sodium malonate in a buffered yeast extract broth, causing an alkaline (blue) change in bromthymol blue indicator in the medium. Only Klebsiella species and a few of the motile enterobacterial organisms possess this characteristic.  

  • Malleomyces

    This genus (Gram-negative rods associated with glanders in horses and other animals) has now been abandoned, and its members allocated to the Acinetobacter or Pseudomonas genera.  

  • Mallein

    Extract of Acinetobacter mallei, used for skin tests on horses, in the manner of the Mantoux tuberculin test.  

  • Lysed blood agar

    Defibrinated or oxalated horse blood, lysed by repeated freezing and thawing, added at 7 per cent to nutrient or sensitivity test agar to neutralize sulphonamide antagonizers.  

  • Ludlam’s medium

    Selective agar medium for the isolation of staphylococci from contaminated material. Tellurite and lithium salts coupled with a very alkaline reaction discourage many bacteria; while mannitol is fermented by Staph, pyogenes to give black colonies other staphylococci are pale and small in size.  

  • Lovibond comparator

    Device for the visual comparison of coloured fluid with a series of standards of tinted glass set in a revolving circular wheel, only one of which is opposite to the fluid being evaluated at a given time. Various types of standard are available: in bacteriology the phenol red standards disc is of particular value.  

  • Locke’s solution

    Isotonic suspension medium for bacteria and cells. A mixture of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride and sodium carbonate.  

  • Liver infusion media

    Broth or agar with a peptone – ox liver base, used especially for the cultivation of Brucella. Thionin and basic fuchsin may be included in modifications for differentiating between the various species.  

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