SPORE BEARING ANAEROBES 



6 7 



five days. No change in milk. The colonies are slimy and opaque. 

 The organism is said to be agglutinated by the serum of pellagra cases. 

 The name B. MAYDIS has been given to it. 



SPORE-BEARING ANAEROBES. 



There are three very important pathogens in this group that of 

 malignant oedema; that of botulism, and the organism of tetanus. 



The B. enteritidis sporogenes is of importance in connection with 

 indications of faecal contamination of water. In connection with B. 

 aerogenes capsulatus, there is some 

 question as to whether the exten- 

 sive oedema produced by it may 

 not usually be from a terminal or 

 cadaveric infection. At any rate 

 necrotic material seems necessary. 



It should be stated that our 

 knowledge of the differential cul- 

 tural characteristics of anaerobes 

 is unsatisfactory. The exact 

 methods which are in use for 

 aerobes have not been applied 

 to anaerobic organisms. 



To Cultivate Anaerobes. 

 Probably the apparatus giving 

 the most perfect anaerobic con- 

 ditions is the Novy jar, in which 

 the air has been replaced by 

 hydrogen. The difficulties attending the method are: 



FIG. 19. Novy jar. 



1. Unless a special apparatus (Kipp's) is at hand, there may be difficulty in pre- 

 venting the sulphuric acid from frothing over when poured on the zinc. It 

 should, at first, be added in small quantities at a time well diluted (i to 6). 



2. Various wash-bottles are required: one containing silver nitrate solution for 

 traces of AsHs and one with lead acetate for H^S and another with pyrogallic 

 acid and caustic soda for any oxygen that may come over. 



3. Mixtures of hydrogen and air explode. Consequently, in determining whether 

 all air has been expelled and in its place an atmosphere of hydrogen exists, it 



is necessary to see if the escaping gas burns with a blue flame. Unless this 

 is collected in a test-tube and examined, we may have an explosion. 



4. Except in a large laboratory, where the apparatus is set up and ready for use, 

 too much time would be required. 



5. Simpler methods appear to give as good results. 



