2/8 MANUAL OF BACTERIOLOGY. 



the tubes should be tested in the incubator before using. 

 The blood of some animals, as the pigeon and rabbit, may 

 be used instead or human blood. 1 The colonies are small 

 and transparent, looking like little drops of water, not be- 

 coming confluent. 



Of a large number of bacilli, the majority are destroyed 

 in twenty-four hours or less by drying. They die out in 

 a similar manner in water. Experiments upon animals 

 appear up to this time not to have been very convincing. 

 In diagnosis, the sputum should be carefully collected in a 

 sterile bottle. If the particles of sputum are likely to have 

 become contaminated, rinse in sterile water. Inoculate on 

 agar and on blood-agar. The influenza bacillus should grow 

 only on blood-agar and have the other characters above 

 mentioned. As far as is known, this organism grows only 

 in man, and not outside of the human body. In cases of 

 influenza it is found in the mucous discharges, and in the 

 bronchi and lungs. It is the predominating organism in 

 some cases of bronchitis. 2 According to Canon, the bacilli 

 may sometimes be found in the blood. 



Bacillus diphtherias (Klebs-Loffler). A straight or 

 slightly-curved bacillus, usually 1.2 to 2.5 ft in length, with 

 rounded or slightly pointed ends, remarkable for showing- 

 irregularities of form, sometimes being club-shaped or 

 spindle-shaped; branching forms have been found. 3 It is 

 not motile, and does not form spores. It retains its color 

 after Gram's method, but it is best stained with watery 

 solutions of the aniline dyes, especially LofHer's alkaline 

 methylene-blue. Very characteristic pictures are obtained 

 by the method of Neisser : 



. 



1 Ccntralblatt f. Baktcriologic, Bel. XXXII., Orig. p. 667. 



2 See Lord, Hoston Medical and Surgical Journal, December 8, 1902. 

 ;: Hill, Journal Medical Research, Vol. VII, 1902. 



