7O STUDY AND IDENTIFICATION OF BACTERIA 



the cause of an acute cellular necrosis attended with serous sanguino- 

 lent exudation and with more or less emphysema. The organism 

 only becomes generalized in the blood about the time of death and 

 postmortem. Therefore, it is not a septicaemia, as is anthrax. The 

 bacillus is an organism about the size of anthrax (y/Jt by 0.8), but is nar- 

 rower and does not have the same square cut or dimpled ends. Further- 

 more, it is motile, Gram negative and an anaerobe. The guinea-pig 

 is very susceptible, and about the time of death and postmortem there 

 may be seen long flexile motile filaments, 1 5 to 40 /* long, which move 

 among the blood cells as a serpent in the grass (Pasteur). 



In cultures it grows out very slightly from the line of stab, giving a jagged 

 granular line, differing from tetanus. Spores form best at 37 C. requiring about 

 forty-eight hours. It liquefies gelatin. In examining an exudate from a suspected 

 case, note the presence of spores centrally situated. Inoculate a guinea-pig. Death 

 occurs in about two days. There is intense hemorrhagic emphysematous oedema at 

 the site of inoculation, the cedematous fluid however does not show spores. The 

 bacilli do not appear in the blood until about the time of death and it is an assistance 

 in diagnosis to put the dead body of the guinea-pig in the incubator for a few hours. 

 The subcutaneous tissue contains fluid and gas. There is present the foul odor of 

 an anaerobe. Examine for the long filaments showing flowing motility. Be sure 

 to stain by Gram. (Negative.) For cultures, heat the material (either from a 

 wound or from a guinea-pig) which shows spores to a temperature of 80 C. for 

 from fifteen minutes to one hour. Then inoculate glucose agar stab culture and grow 

 anaerobically. Courmont differentiates anthrax from malignant oedema by in- 

 jecting into ear-vein of rabbit. The injection of malignant oedema in this way, 

 instead of subcutaneously, tends to immunize. 



B. botulinus (Van Ermengem, 1896). This is the organism which 

 produces botulism, a form of meat poisoning. It is a spore-bearing 

 anaerobe and must not be confused with another organism associated 

 with meat poisoning the B. enteritidis of Gartner. The spores are 

 at the end and are not very resistant; a temperature of 80 C. often 

 killing them. 



In botulism the meat becomes infected after the animal has been slaughtered; 

 in Gartner meat poisoning the cow meat was infected at the time of slaughter it 

 was from a sick animal. Thorough cooking of the meat protects against botulism 

 but not certainly against Gartner meat poisoning. 



There are dysphagia, paralysis of eye-muscles, and cardiac and respiratory 

 symptoms (medulla). The symptoms are due to the elaboration of a soluble toxin 

 of the same nature as that of diphtheria and tetanus. There is no fever and con- 

 sciousness is preserved. 



An antitoxin which it is stated has therapeutic value in botulism has been 



