480 Vincent's Angina 



Cultivation. The organisms were cultivated by Ttmni- 

 cliff upon the surface of ascitic fluid agar-agar (i 13) under 

 strictly anaerobic conditions at 37 C. After two or three 

 days the fusiform bacillus appeared in the form of delicately 

 whitish colonies, 0.5 to 2 mm. in diameter, resembling colonies 

 of streptococci. By transplanting these, pure cultures of 

 Bacillus fusiformis were obtained. In the transplantation 

 tubes the organism again grew in the form of similar whitish 

 colonies, a flocculent deposit accumulating at the bottom of 

 the water of condensation. 



Loffler's Blood-serum Mixture. After twenty-four to forty- 

 eight hours similar colonies appear and a similar flocculent 

 deposit collects in the condensation water. 



Rabbit's Blood Agar-agar. The growth is similar, but 

 brownish in color. 



Glycerin Agar-agar. No growth. 



Glucose Agar-agar Stab. A delicate whitish growth with 

 small lateral prolongations develops along the path of the 

 wire in twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Some gas is 

 formed. 



Litmus Milk. In forty-eight hours there is a moderate 

 growth. The litmus becomes decolorized. There is no 

 coagulation. When oxygen is admitted the medium re- 

 gains its lost color. 



Potato. No growth. 



Bouillon and Dextrin-free Bouillon. No growth. 



Glucose-bouillon. No growth when more than i per cent, of 

 glucose is present. The medium is clouded with some sedi- 

 ment. 



From all of the cultures a somewhat offensive odor is 

 given off. 



Morphology. The Bacillus fusiformis presents the same 

 appearances, no matter what medium it grows upon. It 

 measures 3 to 10 ^ in length, 0.3 to 0.8 /w in thickness. The 

 greatest diameter is at the center, from which the organisms 

 gradually taper to blunt or pointed extremities. 



The organisms stain with Loffler's alkaline methylene-blue, 

 with diluted carbol-fuchsin, by Gram's method, and by 

 Giemsa's method. The staining is intense, but is rarely uni- 

 form, the substance usually being interrupted by vacuoles 

 or fractures, reminding one of those seen in the diphtheria and 

 tubercle bacilli. The organism forms endospores sometimes 

 situated at the center, but more frequently toward one end. 



