162 Manual of Veterinary Microbiology. 



sionally swollen ; 2d. or those of a bacillus with 

 homogeneous protoplasm, a little longer than the 

 preceding (12/^ to 30//). In the serous membranes, 

 and in the blood after death, it grows to a consider- 

 able length and more or less rapidly becomes seg- 

 mented into articles of varying lengths, never sporu- 

 lated after the manner of the bacillus of charbon. 



The septic vibrio is absolutely anaerobic ; it exhibits 

 very active flexuous movements which are quickly 

 arrested by contact with oxygen. 



Action of physical and chemical agents. — Heat is the 

 surest and most active agent of- destruction of the 

 septic vibrio and the only one to be recommended in 

 practice; virulent serosity is rendered inoffensive by 

 heatmg for fifteen minutes at 100°; dried serosity re- 

 quires a little less than ten minutes at 120°. It slowly 

 loses its virulence through the influence of putrefac- 

 tion (in two months) ; the virus, dried at temperatures 

 varying from 15° to 38°, is indefinitely preserved. 

 Antiseptics have a feeble toxic power for the septic 

 vibrio; according to MM, Chauveau and Arloing sul- 

 phurous acid has shown itself the most powerful; 

 sublimate, at 1 to 500, does not kill the bacillus of 

 gangrenous septicismia. Carbolic acid, at three 

 per cent, is only efficacious when supplemented by 

 heat. 



Cultures. — The bacillus septicus multiplies in all 

 the artificial media under the express condition that 

 these media and the atmosphere in which they are 

 inclosed are deprived of oxygen. The development 

 is accompanied with the disengagement of carbonic 

 acid and hydrogen ; bouillons become turbid and then 

 clear by the deposition of the bacilli ; gelatin is fluid- 



