BY A. JEFFERIS TURNER, M.D., LOND. 81 



this organism contain a ropy substance like mucus, evidently si 

 product due to some chemical fermentation. Agar cultures 

 too of this coccus, form a very coherent film, which sticks 

 glutmously together when disturbed by the platinum needle. 



The bacilli, or rod-shaped bacteria, show much greater 

 morphological variety than the cocci we have been considering, 

 and it will be convenient to describe the seven forms I have 

 isolated from the air separately. Bacillus a, when examined 

 under the microscope in a hanging drop of fluid, presents a 

 very lively appearance, for each rodlet or sphere is actively 

 motile, swimming about the field of view with great agility. 

 It is a stout bacillus, usually short, but varying greatly in 

 length, for very long motile rods are sometimes seen. On the 

 other hand, the great majority may be so short as to be round 

 and indistinguishable from cocci and diplococci. But some oval 

 forms are always distinguishable. These roundish forms appear 

 to be commoner in agar cultures, the longest rods in gelatine 

 cultures. At first I suspected that I might be dealing with a 

 mixture of organisms, but by making gelatine plates and 

 examining individual colonies this was negatived. The growth 

 on agar is rapid and of a pale orange or yellowish colour. 

 Gelatine stab cultures show rapid liquefaction, the gelatine 

 being in time completely liquefied, the growth sinkmg to the 

 bottom of the tube. Gelatine plate cultures show rapidly 

 spreading liquefaction of the individual colonies. I have not 

 observed any spore formation in this bacillus. 



In its morphological characters, bacillus yS is extremely 

 distinct from the preceding. It is an excessively minute, very 

 slender bacillus, varying in length from roundish and oval forms 

 to short rods. I have never observed it form rods of any 

 considerable length. It shows no independent movements. On 

 agar it forms a deep, somewhat greenish, yellow growth, 

 provided the temperature at which it is grown is not too iiigh. 

 A streak culture on gelatine forms a narrow yellow streak 

 which shows no sign of liquefaction tor the first two weeks, 

 but slowly liquefies at a later date. 



Bacillus S resembles the preceding in forming a yellow 

 growth on agar and potato. But the colour, though well 

 marked, is not so deep and has no greenish tinge. Cultures on 



p 



