Capsules in Young Cultures of Streptococcus hemolyticus

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Abstract
The occurrence of capsules in very young cultures of certain strains and the technique for staining them are described. Their early disappearance is, coincident with loss of antiphagocytic properties. No difference in virulence of capsulated and non-capsulated phases could be observed. Extracts of the 2 phases showed no significant quantitative differences in complement-fixing or precipitating antigens. Injected into rabbits, the capsulated phase did not produce a serum of higher bactericidal titer than that produced by the noncapsulated.