Bacillus Pyocyaneus 



321 



Bezancon* has isolated this organism from a case of meningitis. 

 Forneacaj has reported a case of generalized tetragenous septicemia. 



BACILLUS PYOCYANEUS (GESSARD) 



General Characteristics. A minute, slender, actively motile, flagellated, non- 

 sporogenous, chromogenic and feebly pathogenic, aerobic or facultative anaerobic, 

 liquefying bacillus, staining by ordinary methods, but not by Gram's method. 



In some cases pus has a peculiar bluish or greenish color, which 

 depends upon the presence of Bacillus pyocyaneus of Gessard.J 



Distribution. The bacillus appears to be a rather common 

 saprophyte, being found in feces, manure, and water. It easily 



Fig. 114. Bacillus pyocyaneus, from an agar-agar culture. X 1000 

 (Itzerott and Niemann). 



takes up its residence upon the skin and mucous membranes, and 

 has been found in the perspiration. It sometimes occurs as a sapro- 

 phyte upon the surgical dressings applied to wounds, and some- 

 times invades the tissues through wounds, to occasion dangerous 

 infections. 



Morphology. It is a short, slender organism with rounded 

 ends, measuring 0.3 X i to 2 /x, according to Flugge; 0.6 X 2 to 

 6 IJL, according to Ernst, and o..6 X i M> according to Charriri. It 

 is quite pleomorphous, which probably accounts for the difference 

 in measurements. It is occasionally united in chains of four or six. 

 It is actively motile, has one terminal flagellum, and does not form 

 spores. 



It closely resembles a harmless bacillus found in water, and 



* "Semaine Medicale," 1898. 



t "Riforma Medica," 1903. 



t "De la Pyocyanine et de son Microbe," These de Paris, 1882. 



