THE BIOLOGY OF CLOSTRIDIUM WELCHII 



J. RUSSELL ESTY 

 From the Bacteriological Laboratory, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 



Received for publication March 1, 1920 



CONTENTS 



I. Introduction 371 



II. Isolation 372 



III. Distribution 373 



IV. Morphology 374 



V. Spore Formation 375 



VI. Cultural Requirements 377 



VII. Cultural Characters 380 



VIII. Chemical Characters 384 



IX. Classification 387 



X. Thermal Death Point 393 



XI. Pathogenicity 405 



XII. Immunity 417 



XIII. Effects of Feeding Clostridium Welchii 420 



XIV. Conclusions 422 



XV. Bibliography 424 



I. INTRODUCTION 



The organism causing gaseous phlegmon or emphysematous 

 gangrene was discovered by Welch and Nuttall at an autopsy 

 in 1892 and was named by them Bacillus aerogenes capsulatus. 

 In the revision of the nomenclature of bacteriology it was given 

 its present name, Clostridium Welchii. 



Many investigators have studied this organism and have 

 proposed different theories to explain the symptoms following 

 infection. During the late War, cases of wound infection by 

 C. Welchii were reported among the French and British soldiers 

 on the western front. Such infections have frequently led to 

 disastrous results, terminating in death and needless amputation 

 owing to lack of knowledge regarding the causes of the local 

 destruction of tissue. 



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