Bacilli Resembling the Typhoid Bacillus 675 



tion of the colon bacilli in water, the favorite at the present 

 time probably being the litmus-lactose-agar plate (q. v.) of 

 Wiirtz.* This depends upon the fermentative and acid- 

 producing power of the bacillus, which is shown through 

 the presence of red colonies (acid producers) on the else- 

 where blue plate. These red colonies are then fished up 

 and transplanted to appropriate media for further study. 



Kline f substitutes lactose for the glucose in this medium, 

 pointing out that by so doing one at once differentiates 

 between typical colon bacilli which ferment lactose and 

 atypical varieties which do not. 



Other media and methods useful in studying the colon 

 bacilli are also discussed in the chapter upon Typhoid Fever 

 (q. v.). 



BACILLUS ENTERITIDIS (GARTNER). 



General Characteristics. A motile, flagellated, non-sporogenous, 

 non-chromogenic, non-liquefying, aerogenic, aerobic and optionally 

 anaerobic, pathogenic bacillus staining by the ordinary methods, but 

 not by Gram's method. 



This bacillus was first cultivated by A. Gartner { from the 

 flesh of a cow slaughtered because of an intestinal disease, 

 and from the spleen of a man poisoned by eating meat 

 obtained from it. The bacillus was subsequently found by 

 Karlinski and Lubarsch in other cases of meat-poisoning. 



Morphology. The bacillus closely resembles Bacillus 

 coli communis. It is short and thick, is surrounded by a 

 slight capsule, is actively motile, and has flagella. 



Staining. It stains irregularly with the ordinary solu- 

 tions, but not by Gram's method. It has no spores. 



Cultivation. Upon gelatin plates it forms round, pale 

 gray, translucent colonies. It does not liquefy the gelatin. 

 The deep colonies are brown and spheric. The growth on 

 agar-agar is similar to that of the colon bacillus. The 

 organism produces no indol, coagulates milk in a few days, 

 and reduces litmus. Its fermentative powers have not been 

 sufficiently studied, but is known to ferment dextrose media. 

 Upon potato it forms a yellowish- white, shining layer. 



* "Archiv. de med. Experimental, " iv, p. 85, 1892. 

 t "British Medical Journal," Oct. 27, 1906, p. 1090. 

 J "Korrespond. d. allg. arztl. Ver. von Thuring," 1888, 9. 



