BACILLUS TETANI 



DISCOVERED in 1884 by Nicolaier in the pus from 

 abscesses caused by the inoculation of garden earth, 

 and isolated in pure culture by Kitasato in 1889, 

 the specific cause of tetanus proved to be a short, 

 fine, slowly moving anaerobe, growing into long 

 filaments and chains of shorter elements, and, under 

 suitable conditions, producing spores. The rods 

 stain by Gram's method, and are usually from 2-4 /a 

 in length by about *o /n wide. 



If the pus from a tetanus-producing wound be 

 purified by heating to 80 C. a temperature not 

 destructive to tetanus spores and then cultivated 

 in glucose bouillon under anaerobic conditions at a 

 temperature of 37 C., a pure growth of the bacillus 

 may be obtained. The medium becomes moderately 

 turbid at first, but shows a strong tendency to clear 

 and form a deposit at the bottom of the tube. If 

 such deposit be examined after about forty-eight 

 hours' growth, it will be found to consist largely of 



