ACID-FAST GROUP 327 



Morphology and Staining. The organism closely resembles the 

 Bacillus tuberculosis morphologically. It is a slender rod, usually 

 1 to 2 /^ in length, rarely longer. It is non-motile. Neither 

 spores nor capsules have been observed. It does not stain readily 

 with the aqueous anilin dyes unless mordanted. When once 

 stained, it is acid-fast. The same staining technic may be used 

 as with the tubercle bacillus. 



Isolation and Culture. Bugge and Albein claim to have isolated 

 the organisms, but details are lacking. It has not been culti- 

 vated by other investigators. 



Pathogenesis. Experimental Evidence. The disease has not 

 been transmitted to any of the laboratory experimental animals. 

 The belief that it is the etiologic factor 



in the disease rests upon its constant * :V ^?-:^-'^^ &<;-.- 

 presence in the lesions. ^ : ^ ^ ~i 



Character of Disease and Lesions Pro- :^'^--</^-^ : - ^ 

 duced. The disease is characterized by V- ''/$ ] j.9l'j$? t%^' 

 progressive emaciation and persistent -^i^^^>^^ 

 chronic diarrhea, with commonly fatal "C'/^^^^v. :: '''--s| 



termination. The lesions are confined > : 3S& 



*%>% ' ' A '-' ' 4ft 

 to the intestines, small intestines pri- 



., , ,, , T ., mv Fig. 132. Bacillus of 



manly, and the colon secondarily. The T , , ,. 



tj oniics QisG3.sc iri section 



mucosa shows thickening and wrinkling, O f intestinal wall, 

 but there is little evidence of conges- 

 tion. The lesions are not sharply limited, there is no necrosis, 

 although some of the villi may be denuded of epithelium. Giant- 

 cells may rarely be demonstrated, but tubercle formation does not 

 occur. 



Immunity. Nothing is known relative to immunity to this 

 disease. 



Bacteriologic Diagnosis. No practicable method of bac- 

 teriological antemortem diagnosis has been developed. The 

 presence of acid-fast organisms in large numbers in the thickened 

 mucosa in the absence of nodule formation is diagnostic on post- 

 mortem. 



Transmission. The disease is doubtless transmitted by inges- 

 tion, but this has not been experimentally demonstrated. 



