Metabolic Products 



375 



active movement. The edges of the colony have a fringed 

 appearance, much like the colonies of the hay or potato ba- 

 cillus. 



In gelatin and agar-agar tube cultures the characteristic 

 growth cannot be observed in a puncture, because of the air 

 which remains in the path of the wire, unless the tube be 

 placed under anaerobic conditions. The best preparation, 

 therefore, is made by heating the gelatin to expel any air it 

 may contain, inoculating it while still liquid, and solidifying 

 it in cold (iced) water. In such a tube the bacilli develop 

 in globular circumscribed areas of cloudy liquefaction 



: > 



Fig. 1 13. Bacillus of malignant edema, from the body- juice of a guinea- 

 pig inoculated with garden earth. X 1000 (Frankel and Pfeiffer). 



which contain a small amount of gas. In gelatin to which a 

 little grape-sugar has been added the gas production is 

 marked. The gas is partly inflammable, partly not. A dis- 

 tinct odor accompanies the gas production, and is especially 

 noticeable in agar-agar cultures. In bouillon diffuse cloud- 

 ing occurs, followed by the formation of a sediment. No 

 surface growth occurs. Milk is slowly coagulated. It grows 

 well upon the surface of potato and blood-serum under con- 

 ditions of strict anaerobiosis. 



Metabolic Products. Of the toxic products of the organ- 

 ism nothing definite is known. It decomposes albumin, form- 

 ing fatty acids, leucin, hydroparacumaric acid, and an oil 



