100 



APPLIED BACTERIOLOGY FOR NURSES 



ence of flagella, which are arranged around its entire 

 body. It shows greater resistance than most other 

 bacteria to drying, to heat, and to chemic disinfectants, 

 because it has the power to produce spores under ad- 

 verse conditions. The spore is located at one end of the 

 bacillus, and, being larger in diameter than the bacillus 

 itself, gives to the latter somewhat the appearance of a 

 nail. Heating to 105 C. for ten minutes is sufficient to 



Fig. 32. Bacillus of tetanus, showing spores. Pure culture on 

 Fuchsin stain (Kolle and Wassermann). 



kill tetanus spores, yet they have remained alive on 

 splinters of wood and have caused the disease after 

 eleven years. 



When tetanus bacilli are introduced into a wound they 

 remain there and do not invade the body as do, for ex- 

 ample, the streptococci. It is important to bear this in 

 mind. If the conditions are favorable they continue 

 to live and multiply. They give rise to but little local 

 disturbance; in fact, local symptoms are frequently absent. 

 But the bacilli produce a powerful toxin which is the 

 cause of the general symptoms. The toxin can be sepa- 



