892 CLOSTRIDIUM 



proteolytic action. Acid and gas produced in glucose, acid and clot in litmus milk. 

 Complete haemolysis on blood agar plates in 24 hours. A toxin is produced. By agglutina- 

 tion most strains appear to be antigenically homogeneous. Intramuscular inoculation 

 of guinea-pigs with a toxic culture gives rise to an extensive bloody oedema, sometimes 

 accompanied by hsemoglobinuria. Rabbits also susceptible. A disease simulating in 

 many respects the natural disease can be reproduced in cattle by injection of toxic cultures. 



CI. multifermentans (tenalbura.) — Described by Stoddard (1919«) ; isolated from a case 

 of gas gangrene. Resembles CI. septicum morphologically, especially in its formation of 

 citrons, but is non-pathogenic. Gram-positive, motile bacillus with subterminal spores. 

 Surface colonies are large, round with slightly irregular edges ; after several days they 

 become white and opaque, and rise up from the surface. Deep colonies are white and 

 opaque, irregular or biconvex, with projecting outgrowths. Acid and gas in glucose, 

 maltose, lactose, sucrose, and salicin ; acid and clot in L.M. Non-proteolytic. Non- 

 pathogenic to guinea-pigs. 



CI. putriflcum. — Described by Bienstock (1884, 1899, 1901), who isolated it from 

 faeces. Appears to have been a slender Gram-positive rod with spherical or oval terminal 

 spores, which digested proteins but had no action on carljohydrates. Its identity has 

 been in doubt (for critical discussion see Hall and Snyder 1934, Hartsell and Rettger 1934, 

 Morgan and Wright 1934). Many workers regard it as identical with CI. cochlewium, 

 but this is disputed by Hartsell and Rettger and by MacLennan (1939). According to 

 MacLennan, CI. putrificum is a slender bacillus. Gram-positive only in young cultures, 

 0-3-0-5 p, in diameter, forming long tangled threads in old cultures, with slowly developing, 

 large round terminal spores. Sluggishly motile by peritrichous flagella. Colonies are 

 irregularly round, transparent, with filamentous or delicately fimbriate edge ; non-haemo- 

 lytic. Deep colonies are minute, spherical and hairy. Non-saccharolytic ; HjS + ; 

 M.R. — ; M.B. reduction — ; catalase — ; liquefies coagulated serum and gelatin in 

 7-20 days and blackens cooked meat medium slightly. Three serological groups, which 

 are distinct from CI. cochlearium. 



CI. paraputrificum. — According to Hall and his colleagues (Hall and Snyder 1934, 

 Snyder 1936, HaU and Ridgeway 1937) this organism, which was described by Bienstock 

 (1906), is probably identical with Escherich's " Kopfchenbakterien," von Hibler's ix 

 bacillus, RodeUa's ill bacillus, and Ivleinschmidt's (1934) B. innutritus. It is found in 

 the faeces, particularly^ of infants, both normal and iU-nourished, and is a slender, motile. 

 Gram-variable bacillus with terminal oval spores. It is non-proteolytic ; it ferments 

 glucose, maltose, lactose, sucrose, and salicin, but not mannitol or xylose, with the pro- 

 duction of acid and gas. It is non-pathogenic for guinea-pigs and rabbits. 



CI. parasporogenes. — Described by Mcintosh (1917). Resembles CI. sporogenes, but 

 deep colonies in agar shake cultures are biconvex or irregular in shape. Also forms specific 

 agglutinins, which do not act on CI. sporogenes. Non-pathogenic to guinea-pigs. 



CI. sphenoides. — -Isolated by Douglas, Fleming and Colebrook (1920) from wounds. 

 So called from the wedge-shape of the sporing baciUus. Small, motile, weakly Gram- 

 positive ; vegetative bacilli are fusiform in shape and arranged in pau-s end-to-end. 

 Spores are large and round, appear subterminaUy, but soon become strictly terminal. 

 Surface colonies are round with entire edges. Pathogenicity not examined. 



CI. tertium. — Described by Henry (1917). Resembles, but is probably different from, 

 CI. paraputrificum (see above). Thin, sUghtly curved bacillus, 3-5 ^ long, sluggishly 

 motile. Gram-positive, often showing granular staining. Spores freely, giving rise to 

 large, oval, elongated terminal spores. Surface colonies are rounded, deUcate, u'idescent, 

 and almost transparent, with entire or slightly crenated edge. Deep colonies are small, 

 biconvex or irregular in shape. Ferments mannitol and xylose. Non-pathogenic to 

 guinea-pigs. (See von Hibler 1908, HaU and Matsuma 1924). According to HaU and 

 Dufifett (1935), both CI. tertium and CI. histolyticum are microaerophiUc rather than strictly 

 anaerobic, but spores are formed only under anaerobic conditions. 



