530 TREPONEMATA AND SPIROCHETA 



FUSIFORM BACILLI AND SPIRILLUM FUSIFORMIS. 



Fusiform bacilli, frequently in association with spiral organisms, 

 have been observed by Plaut 1 and Vincent 2 in diphtheroid angina; 

 by Vincent 3 in cases of hospital gangrene; by Bernheim 4 in stomatitis 

 ulcerosa and angina ulcerosa; in noma 5 and in erosive and gangrenous 

 balanitis by Corbus. 6 



The organism, Bacillus fusiformis, is a long, thin bacillus with 

 distinctly tapering ends measuring from 0.5 to 0.8 micron in diameter 

 at the centre, and varying in length from 3 to 10 microns. The bacilli 

 appear to be rigid and straight as a rule, but occasional rods are 

 observed to be slightly curved. In fluid media there is a tendency 

 for the organisms to develop long tangled filaments in which granules 



FIG. 78. Vincent's angina, Bacillus and Spirillum fusiformis. 



may be absent. Motility has not been observed, and spores and cap- 

 sules have never been demonstrated. Ordinary stains color the organ- 

 isms faintly, but stains containing mordants, as carbolfuchsin and 

 carbolthionin, stain them readily and one or two intensely colored 

 granules are frequently observed in each organism. The organisms 

 are Gram-negative. 



Tunnicliff 7 obtained development of fusiform bacilli in ascitic fluid 

 media (anaerobic) at 37 C., but subcultures were usually negative. 

 Krumwiede and Pratt, 8 using an improved anaerobic culture method, 

 obtained pure cultures in anaerobic ascitic agar or serum agar from 



1 Deutsch. med. Wchnschr., 1894, xlix, 922. 2 Ann. Inst. Past., 1899, 609. 



3 Ibid., 1896, 488. 4 Centralbl. f. Bakt., 1898, xxiii, 177. 



5 Brault, Bull. Derm, et Syph., 1908, 2. 6 Jour. Am. Med. Assn., 1913, Ix, 1769. 



7 Jour. Inf. Dis., 1906, iii, 148. Ibid., 1913, xii, 199; xiii, 438. 



