CHARACTER OF CULTURES 



391 



bacillus (Figs. 129, 130). The bacillus can be readily stained 

 by any of the basic aniline stains, but loses the colour in Gram's 

 method, in this way differing from the anthrax bacillus. 



Characters of Cultures. This organism grows readily at 

 ordinary temperature, but only under anaerobic conditions. In 

 a puncture culture in a deep tube of glucose gelatin, the growth 



A B c 



FIG. 131. Stab cultures in agar, five days' growth at 37 C. 



Natural size. 



A. Tetanus bacillus. B. Bacillus of malignant oedema. C. Bacillus of 

 quarter-evil (Rauschbrand). 



appears as a whitish line giving off minute short processes, the 

 growth, of course, not reaching the surface of the medium. 

 Soon liquefaction occurs, and a long fluid funnel is formed, with 

 turbid contents and nocculent masses of growth at the bottom. 

 At the same time bubbles of gas are given off, which may split 

 up the gelatin. The colonies in gelatin plates under anaerobic 

 conditions appear first as small whitish points which under the 

 microscope show a radiating appearance at the periphery, 

 resembling the colonies of the bacillus subtilis. Soon, however, 



