BACILLUS TETANI 



457 



seen to possess * numerous peritrichal flagella, when stained by special 

 methods. After twenty-four to forty-eight hours of incubation, the 

 length of time depending somewhat on the nature of the medium and 

 the degree of anaerobiosis, the bacilli develop spores which are char- 

 acteristically located at one end, giving the bacterium the diagnostic 

 drumstick appearance. 



As the cultures grow older the spore-bearing forms completely super 



FIG. 96. BACILLUS TETANI. Spore stain. 



sede the vegetative ones. Very old cultures contain spore-bearing bacilli 

 and spores only. 



The tetanus bacillus is easily stained by the usual anilin dyes, and 

 reacts positively to Gram's stain. Flagella staining is successful only 

 when very young cultures are employed. 



Distribution. In nature, the tetanus bacillus has been found by 

 Nicolaier and others to occur in the superficial layers of the soil. The 



i Vottaler, Zeit. f. Hyg., xxvii. 



