Bacillus Capsulatus Mucosus 



459 



of the wire innumerable little colonies spring up and become con- 

 fluent, so that a " nail-growth " results. No 

 liquefaction of the gelatin occurs. Gas bub- 

 bles not infrequently appear in the wire 

 track. The cultures sometimes become 

 brown in color when old. 



Agar-agar. Upon the surface of agar- 

 agar at ordinary temperatures a luxuriant 

 white or brownish-yellow, smeary, viscid, 

 circumscribed growth occurs. 



Blood-serum. The blood-serum growth 

 is similar to that upon agar. 



Potato. Upon potato the growth is lux- 

 uriant, quickly covering the entire surface 

 with a thick yellowish-white layer, which 

 sometimes contains bubbles of gas. 



Milk is not coagulated as a rule. Litmus 

 milk is reddened. 



Vital Resistance. The bacillus grows at 

 a temperature as low as i6C., and, accord- 

 ing to Sternberg, has a thermal death-point 

 of 5 6C. 



Metabolic Products. Friedlander's ba- 

 cillus ferments nearly all the sugars, with 

 the evolution of much gas. It generates 

 alcohol, acetic and other acids, and both 

 C(>2 and H. According to the best authori- 

 ties the organism does not form indol. 

 There is, however, some difference of opin- 

 ion upon the subject. 



Perkins* divides the organisms of this 

 group into three chief types according to 

 their reactions toward carbohydrates: 



I. Bacillus aerogenes type which fer- 

 ment all carbohydrates, with the 

 formation of gas. 



II. Bacillus pneumonias (Friedlander) 

 type which ferment all carbohy- 

 drates except lactose, with forma- 

 tion of gas. 



III. Bacillus lactis aerogenes type which 

 ferment all carbohydrates except 

 saccharose, with formation of gas. 

 Pathogenesis. Friedlander found con- 

 siderable difficulty in producing pathogenic 

 changes by the injection of his bacillus into the lower animals. 



Fig. 173. Friedlan- 

 der's pneumobacillus; 

 gelatin stab culture, 

 showing the typical 

 nail-head appearance 

 and the formation of 

 gas bubbles, not always 

 present (Curtis). 



* "Jour, of Infect. Dis.," 1904, i, No. 2, p. 241. 



