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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13G
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. 9)*
MERIDIAN DIAGNOSTICS, INC.
_____________________________________________________
(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock
_____________________________________________________
(Title of Class of Securities)
589602 10 1
_____________________________________________________
(CUSIP Number)
Check the following box if a fee is being paid with this
statement [ ]. (A fee is not required only if the filing person:
(1) has a previous statement on file reporting beneficial
ownership of more than five percent of the class of securities
described in Item 1; and (2) has filed no amendment subsequent
thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent or less of
such class.) (See Rule 13d-7.)
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a
reporting person's initial filing on this form with respect to
the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment
containing information which would alter the disclosures provided
in a prior cover page.
The information required in the remainder of this cover page
shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise
subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall
be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).
(Continued on following page(s))
Page 1 of 4 Pages
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CUSIP NO. 589602 10 1 13G Page 2 of 4 Pages
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
WILLIAM J. MOTTO
###-##-####
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP* (a) [ ]
See Item 4 (b) [X]
3 SEC USE ONLY
4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
United States of America
5 SOLE VOTING POWER
4,086,671
NUMBER OF
SHARES 6 SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED BY
EACH 609,245
REPORTING
PERSON WITH 7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
4,086,671
8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
609,245
9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
4,695,916
10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN
SHARES*
11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
32.9%
12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
IN
*SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!
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Page 3 of 4 Pages
ITEM 1(a) Name of Issuer: Meridian Diagnostics, Inc.
1(b) Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Office:
3471 River Hills Drive
Cincinnati, Ohio 45244
2(a) Name of Persons Filing: William J. Motto
2(b) Address of Principal Business Office:
3471 River Hills Drive
Cincinnati, Ohio 45244
2(c) Citizenship: U.S.A.
2(d) Title of Class of Securities:
Common Stock, No Par Value
2(e) CUSIP No.: 589602 10 1
3. If this Statement is Filed Pursuant to Rules 13d-1(b)
or 13d-2(b), check whether the Person Filing is a:
N/A
4. Ownership:
(a) See Item 9 of cover page.
(b) See Item 11 of cover page.
(c) See Items 5-8 of cover page.
This Amendment No. 9 to Schedule 13G is filed solely by
William J. Motto. The original Schedule 13G and all amend-
ments prior to Amendment No. 6 to Schedule 13G were filed by
William J. Motto and Jerry L. Ruyan on the same Schedule
13G. All shares reported hereunder have been adjusted to
reflect a three percent stock dividend effective December 8,
1994 and a three-for-two stock split effective October 2,
1995.
The shares in Items 5, 7 and 9 include options that are
exercisable within 60 days into 44,838 shares. The
aggregate amount of shares shown in Items 6, 8, and 9 for
Mr. Motto includes 80,226 shares held by his children in
their individual capacities and 462,873 shares held by his
children as trustees of certain irrevocable trusts. Mr.
Motto disclaims beneficial ownership of all shares held by
his children in their individual capacities, but does not
disclaim beneficial ownership with respect to the shares
held by his children in their capacities as trustees of such
trusts. The aggregate amount in Items 6, 8, and 9 also
includes 66,146 shares owned by the William J. Motto Family
Charitable Remainder Unitrust.
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Page 4 of 4 Pages
William J. Motto and Jerry L. Ruyan are parties to an
agreement ("Agreement") with the Company pursuant to which
they must offer their shares for sale to the Company, and if
it declines to purchase, to the other signatories at a price
based on current market prices, if either of them desires to
sell shares in excess of 1% of the Company's outstanding
Common Stock in any three-month period. Mr. Motto does not
affirm that the Agreement operates to make Messrs. Motto and
Ruyan a group for purposes of Section 13(d)(3) of Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. The Agreement previously was filed as
an Exhibit to Registration Statement No. 33-6052. The First
Amendment to the Agreement, which removed Richard H. Walter
as a party to the Agreement, previously was filed as an
Exhibit to the Form 10-K of Meridian Diagnostics, Inc. for
the fiscal year ended September 30, 1992.
5. Ownership of 5% or less of class: N/A
6. Ownership of more than 5% on behalf of another person:
N/A
7. Identification and classification of the subsidiary
which acquired the security being reported by the
parent holding company: N/A
8. Identification and classification of members of the
group: N/A
9. Notice of dissolution of group: N/A
10. Certification: N/A
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my
knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in
this statement is true, complete and correct.
Date: January 30, 1996 William J. Motto
________________ __________________________
William J. Motto
