188 TETANUS BACILLI 



are found in most samples of cultivated 

 soil. He took it away. He had cultivations 

 made by inoculating a nutrient glucose broth 

 (peptonised juices of meat with sugar) with 

 a portion of the fuller's earth, thus enabling 

 any bacilli present to germinate. The tube 

 containing the inoculation was then kept in 

 water at a temperature of 80 C. for ten 

 minutes, when all non-sporulating organisms 

 were killed off. This was then incubated for 

 forty-eight hours in another tube (Buchner's), 

 with a bulb at the lower end filled with equal 

 quantities of strong pyrogallic acid and a 

 20 per cent, solution of KOH (caustic potash), 

 so that all free oxygen was absorbed; oxygen 

 being inhibitory to the growth of the tetanus 

 bacilli. 



A specimen from the culture so obtained 

 was mounted in the ordinary way and stained 

 with fuchsin. Under the -^ih oil immersion 

 lens bacilli were discovered. The bacilli of 

 tetanus are immobile, and from their shape 

 they are termed 'drumstick.' The illustration 

 (Fig. 62) shows several specimens of this shape. 



