Supplement to the Foreword of the First Edition (original) (raw)

The last book edition of the Code (Editorial Note: i.e., that previous to the present volume) was that approved by the First International Congress of Bacteriology, Jerusalem. 1973 (International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria, 1975).

The Seventh International Congress for Microbiology (Stockholm,1958)

No changes to the Code were made at the Congress in Stockholm, and it was decided that matters pending should be presented to the Congress of 1962 (Cowan and Clark, 1958).

The Eighth International Microbiological Congress (Montreal, 1962)

A large number of changes were made to the Code, mostly amplification to cover problems that were arising in bacteriological nomenclature (Clark and Seeliger, 1963a, b). They concerned in particular the nomenclature of categories between genus and subgenus (Section, Subsection, Series, Subseries), recommendations on infrasubspecific names, generic descriptions, and citation and orthography. Many were taken with some modification from the Botanical Code. The amendments were published (Clark and Seeliger, 1963a) but a complete amended version of the Code was not published. Many of these changes were clearly necessary, but their insertion into the existing Code made it difficult to maintain a clear and logical order to the various rules.

The Ninth International Congress for Microbiology (Moscow, 1966)

The Moscow Congress marked a change of direction in the philosophy of bacterial nomenclature. Change was in the air, and this is illustrated by the decision of the virologists (represented by the Subcommittee on Viruses of the International Committee on Nomenclature of Bacteria) to prepare their own rules of nomenclature. This led to the establishment at the Moscow Congress of a separate International Committee on Nomenclature of Viruses. This move was largely due to the feeling that viruses were of such a special nature that a new and different system of nomenclature should be introduced, and partly because Linnaean binary names were considered to be inappropriate (Cowan, 1963;Clark and Seeliger, 1967a, b). The first report of the Virus Committee was published in 1971 (Wildy, 1971).

At the same time the Executive Board of the International Association of Microbiological Societies requested all subordinate bodies to prepare and submit Statutes. In the first edition the statements covering the structure and functions of the International Committee on Nomenclature of Bacteria (ICNB) were contained in Provisions 4 and 5 of the Code. The Judicial Commission authorized the removal of these Provisions and the Executive Board of the ICNB proceeded with the formulation of Statutes.

At the Moscow Congress, the Judicial Commission was presented with a considerable list of proposed changes to the Bacteriological Code (Editorial Board, 1966; Clark and Seeliger, 1967a, b), of which the most lengthy were proposals to regulate the nomenclature of infrasubspecific forms, forms that had previously been subject only to recommendations on good practice. These proposals had, at Montreal, been deferred for further study, and it now became evident that they posed many difficulties that could not be avoided without consultation with epidemiologists, geneticists, biochemists, and others. These proposals were again referred back for further study.

The Commission discussed again the need for the regulation of names of sections, subsections, series and subseries. It became clear that these categories were used almost only within one genus, Streptomyces, whose taxonomy and nomenclature were increasingly at odds with modern practice in the rest of bacteriology. A feeling grew that it was a retrograde step to recognize complex rules for such categories if their need was diminishing, as awareness grew that many forms recognized as separate species of Streptomyces were more likely to be infrasubspecific variants. At its next meeting, the Commission agreed to remove from the Code the provisions that controlled the names of these categories, and this has been done in the present Code.

The revisions made at Moscow made it necessary to publish a new edition of the Code (International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria, 1966).

Leicester Meeting of the Judicial Commission

It was decided to hold a special meeting of the Judicial Commission to consider a complete revision of the Code and some way of eliminating the thousands of forgotten and useless names. This meeting was held in Leicester in 1968 (Lessel, 1970), and the Judicial Commission quickly agreed that the Code needed a complete new version. Dr. S. P. Lapage offered to undertake a complete revision, and a Drafting Committee was set up consisting of W. A. Clark, S. P. Lapage (Chairman), E. F. Lessel, H. P. R. Seeliger, and P. H. A. Sneath to prepare a Revised Code, to embody the following: publication of names in a limited range of publications; obligate designation of types; methods on designation and the preservation of type strains; minimal descriptions of taxa; and alteration to the provisions for amending the Code in view of impending changes in the organization of the International Committee on Nomenclature of Bacteria.

The question of old and useless names was considered at length. The device used by the Zoological Code—whereby names disused for 50 years could be considered to be forgotten names (nomina oblita) and thereafter ignored—was not thought useful. There was the risk of discovering later that such a name had been used in this period, thus necessitating reinstatement. Another suggestion was that there should be block conservation of well-established names in certain publications of international repute. This had the disadvantage that much detailed taxonomic work would be required before such names could be conserved, and that there would be numerous appeals where the publications were perpetuating obvious errors.

The idea of a new starting date was then discussed. Similar suggestions had been raised in the past, but the important innovation was the proposal that an Approved List be prepared containing all names of taxa with current usage, and that at some given date in the future all other names should lose their standing in nomenclature. The Approved List would then be the basis for the nomenclature of the future. It was realized that the object of the change would be defeated if the old names were not available for re-use, because search of literature would still have to be made to avoid earlier homonyms, but on closer examination it was felt that the re-use of old names should not lead to major confusion. In the event, this radical proposal was accepted and is thought to be workable (Clark and Seeliger, 1971).

The Tenth International Congress for Microbiology (Mexico City, 1970)

Only minor emendations (Lessel, 1971; Clark and Seeliger, 1971), mostly of an editorial nature, were made at Mexico to the Code that was currently in force (the Code as approved at Moscow). The International Committee also approved the Statutes and changed its name to the International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology.

The first drafts of the Revised Code were prepared by the Drafting Committee between 1968 and 1970, when two separate drafts were sent to the Judicial Commission, the second of which was discussed by the Judicial Commission at the tenth Congress. The draft was favorably received, so a resumé of the main changes that were proposed was presented to the International Committee on Nomenclature of Bacteria (Clark and Seeliger, 1971). The International Committee approved the main outline of the proposed Revised Code and later received copies of the fourth draft for comment. These comments were incorporated, and the fifth draft was published for comment in time for the next Congress at Jerusalem in 1973 (Lapage et al, 1973).

First International Congress of Bacteriology (Jerusalem, 1973)

The Revised Code as proposed (Lapage et al., 1973) was approved by the Judicial Commission of the International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology and the Plenary Session of the First International Congress of Bacteriology, with minor amendments mostly editorial in nature (Lessel, 1974; Clark and Schubert, 1974), and its publication was authorized in book form in the present volume.

January 1975

References

  1. Clark W. A., Schubert R. H. W. International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology. 1st International Congress for Bacteriology. Minutes of the Meetings, 2 and 6 September 1973. Binyanei Ha'ooma, Jerusalem, Israel. Int. J. Syst Bacteriol. 1974;24:375–379.
  2. Clark W. A., Seeliger H. P. R. Detailed minutes concerning actions taken on the emendation of the International Code of Nomenclature and Viruses during the meetings of the Judicial Commission of the International Committee on Bacteriological Nomenclature at the VIII International Microbiological Congress in Montreal. August, 1962. Int. Bull. Bacteriol. Nomen. Taxon. 1963a;13:1–22.
  3. Clark W. A., Seeliger H. P. R. Minutes of the first meeting of the International Committee on Bacteriological Nomenclature, Pathology Building, McGill University, Montreal, August 18, 1962. Int. Bull. Bacteriol. Nomen. Taxon. 1963b;13:39–46.
  4. Clark W. A., Seeliger H. P. R. Minutes of the Judicial Commission of the International Committee on the Nomenclature of Bacteria. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1967a;17:59–72.
  5. Clark W. A., Seeliger H. P. R. Minutes of the International Committee on Nomenclature of Bacteria Meetings at the IX International Congress on Microbiology, Moscow, 1966. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1967b;17:73–78.
  6. Clark W. A., Seeliger H. P. R. International Committee on Nomenclature of Bacteria, Tenth International Congress for Microbiology. Minutes of the Meetings 8 and 13 August 1970, Hotel Maria Isabel, Mexico City, Mexico. Int. J. Syst Bacteriol. 1971;21:111–118.
  7. Cowan S. T. Request of the Virus Subcommittee. Int. Bull. Bacteriol. Nornen. Taxon. 1963;13:171–173.
  8. Cowan S. T., Clark W. A. Minutes of the Meetings of the International Committee on Bacteriological Nomenclature held at Stockholm in Connection with the VII International Congress for Microbiology, July–August, 1958. Int. Bull. Bacteriol. Nomen. Taxon. 1958;8:145–149.
  9. Editorial Board. Proposed emendation of the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria and Viruses—with comments. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1966;16:341–369.
  10. International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1966;16:459–490.
  11. International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria and Viruses. 1958. Iowa State College Press, Ames, Iowa, 186 pp.
  12. Lapage S. P., Clark W. A., Lessel E. F., Seeligkr H. P. R., Sneath P. H. A. Proposed Revision of die International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1973;23:83–108.
  13. Lessel E. F. Judicial Commission of the International Committee on Nomenclature of Bacteria. Minutes of Meeting. September 1968, Leicester, England. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1970;20:1–8.
  14. Lessel E. F. Minutes of the Judicial Commission of the International Committee on Nomenclature of Bacteria. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1971;21:100–103.
  15. Lessel E. F. Judicial Commission of the International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology. Minutes of the Meeting. 29 August 1973. Jerusalem, Israel. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1974;24:379–380.
  16. Wildy, P. 1971. Classification and nomenclature of viruses. First Report of the International Committee on Nomenclature of Viruses. S. Karger, Basel. (Monographs in Virology', Vol. 5, 81 pp.)