LEPROSY. 



247 



They may be stained by almost any of the methods that are 

 used for staining the tubercle bacillus, although here any 

 method that is used must be slightly modified, as the bacilli 

 characteristic of leprosy are rather more easily decolorized 

 by acids than are the tubercle bacilli. The Ziehl-Neelsen 

 method, with a contrast stain of methyl blue, gives most 

 admirable results, or Gram's method may be used. The 



Bacilli from Juice of a Leprosy Nodule, x 500. 



bacilli so stained are seen to be from 4 to 6/* in length and 

 .3/4 in breadth ; they are more constant in size than are the 

 tubercle bacilli, and, as a rule, are not marked by the curves 

 that are almost characteristic of that organism ; their ends 

 appear to be slightly pointed. It was at one time considered 

 to be beyond controversy that these bacilli contained spores ; 

 but more recent observations on these and other organisms 

 have led observers to the conclusion that what were at one 



