Bacterioloyy of Septic War Wounds. 277 



attacks carbohydrates with avidity and is the chief cause of the 

 gas which produces the symptoms of gas gangrene. 



3. B. Hibler IX (B. jmtrificus), the cause of much of the factor 

 of septic gunshot wounds. 



Figs. 17 and 18, PL XXI, are types of malignant cedema group. 

 The sporulation is subterminal and clostridial ; very long threads 

 often occur, and bacilli in chains (streptobacilli), the individual 

 elements of which show variation in their reaction with Gram's 

 stain. Fig. 18 is a pure culture from the case previously noted 

 in which the pus showed heavy anaerobic infection. (Fig. 2, 

 PI. XIX.) 



Fig. 19, PI. XXI, is a very beautiful example of the sporulation 

 of B. Hihler IX, showing spore formation in several stages. The 

 form usually illustrated as B. jjutrificus exactly resembles the 

 early sporulation of this organism. The spores when forming 

 stain deeply with Gram's stain, giving a true drumstick appearance, 

 at one time thought to be confined to B. tctani. When the spores 

 are fully formed they are oval and often set at an angle with the 

 organism, resembling an old-fashioned tennis racquet. The spores 

 are oval and entirely terminal. I have not observed subterminal 

 or mid-spores with this organism. 



Figs. 20-25. PI. XXII, are various phases of B. per f ring ens. 



Fig. 20 shows a common appearance in broth in young cultures ; 

 small attached organisms are seen adhering to the bacillus. This 

 organism is considerably altered by its envii'onment ; frequently 

 quite small bacilli are observed, and many of the rods do not stain 

 blue with Gram. 



Fig. 21 — when grown on serum for three days long threads are 

 formed with curious involution forms, but no spores are seen ; the 

 organism now takes Gram's stain poorly, and exhibits a curious 

 mottled or striated appearance not unlike the fragmentation of a 

 streptothrix mycelium. When obtained from human faeces these 



EXPLANATION OP PLATE XXII. 



Fig. 20. — B. perfringens (impure culture), showing attached organisms. Stained 



Gram, x 1000. 

 ,, 21. — Ditto. Four days' serum agar ; long and irregular thread-forms, with 



granular staining. Stained Gram, x 1000. 

 ,, 22. — Ditto. Meat culture, forty-eight hours ; showing numerous Gram- 

 negative forms. Stained Gram, x 1000. 

 ,, 23. — Ditto. From faeces (impure culture) ; thread-formation similar to that 



shown in fig. 21, but with less granular staining. Stained Gram. 



X 1000. 

 ,, 24. — Ditto. Glucose formate agar culture, twenty-four hours. Stained Gram. 



X 1000. 

 „ 25. — Ditto. Three days' glucose formate agar ; showing Gram granular 



staining, typically seen in milk culture and where carbohydrates are 



present, x 1000. 



