An Investigation into the Development of Gram-negative rods in Penicillin-treated Cultures of Staphylococcus aureus

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Abstract
Attempts were made to obtain Gram-negative rods from the Oxford strain of Staphylococcus aureus in the presence of benzylpenicillin. Two such isolations were made in 476 test cultures and one in 192 controls. The difference is not significant. No reversion to coagulase-positive staphylococci could be demonstrated of a rod-shaped Gram-negative organism previously reported as showing this effect. The question of the presence of Gram-negative rods in staphylococcal cultures exposed to penicillin is discussed and it is considered that the phenomenon is due to contamination.