抄録
Although the coliform organisms have been employed as indicator for fecal pollution, it is said that these bacteria do not always represent pollution because they may persist in soil and water for long periods of time and occasionally multiply outside the animal body. In this regard, recently, enterococci have received considerable attention. At the beginning of the studies of enterococci as indices of pollution, in the present studies the author have investigated the comparative incidences of enterococci and coliform organisms in feces, soil and water. Although the fecal specimens of man and various animals contained both the organisms in great numbers, thirty-nine of fifty-five specimens contained greater numbers of coliforms than of enterococci. In all samples of soils and waters taken from the various environments coliform organisms were detected with a few exceptions, and throughout all the samples examined the numbers of these organisms were considerably greater than those of enterococci. The fact that coliform organisms were frequently found in uncontaminated soils and waters in mountain suggests that the organisms of this group may be of nonfecal origin or they may survive in such environment for long periods of time.
