CH. in.] CHOLERAIC COMMA-BACILLI. 41 



single and S- sna P e d roc ^ s > tne single rods varying in length 

 between 0*6 and 1*2 /x : their thickness is about o - 2 p. The 

 greatest differences exist as regards the amount of curvature. 

 While some, particularly the short examples, show only a 

 slight curve, noticeable more at the ends, there are close by 

 in the same particle of the mucus-flake numbers of others 

 which are unmistakably curved. Then one always finds in 

 the same flake, particularly in cases in which the comma- 

 bacilli are abundant, numbers of comma-bacilli in clumps or 

 in streaks, where the majority of the elements show only 

 just an indication of curvature, while others show a distinct 

 curve, some being curved as much as one-half to two-thirds 

 of a circle. Several such instances were examined, in which, 

 in the mucus-flakes, large numbers of semicircular and still 

 more curved elements were present. As regards the mucus- 

 flakes, this can be stated with certainty that the more rapidly 

 the multiplication of the comma-bacilli proceeds, that is to 

 say, the more they occur in groups, patches, or streaks, the 

 less pronounced is the curvature in the single elements. 

 And the same may be said as to the length of the single 

 elements : the more rapid their multiplication in the flakes, 

 the shorter are the majority of the elements. 



Great differences occur also in the thickness of the 

 comma-bacilli in the intestinal contents. While the typical 

 comma-bacilli are about the thickness of 0*2 ju,, there are 

 always present some that are twice and thrice as thick, and 

 there can be no question about this fact, that in many 

 specimens taken from the intestinal contents of typical 

 acute cases, there occur comma-bacilli differing from one 

 another in length and thickness within such limits that one 

 might well doubt their belonging to the same species. I 

 refer in this respect to the case 51 described on a former page 

 and to Fig. 4. Here the individuals constituting the groups 



