434 BACTERIOLOGY. 



THE BACILLUS OF TETANUS. 



In 1884 Nicolaier produced tetanus in mice and rab- 

 bits by the subcutaneous inoculation of particles of 

 garden earth, and demonstrated that the pus produced 

 at the point of inoculation was capable of reproducing 

 the disease in other mice and rabbits. He did not suc- 

 ceed in isolating the organism in pure culture. In 1884 

 Carle and Rattone, and in 1886 Rosenbach, demon- 

 strated the infectious nature of tetanus as it occurs in 

 man by producing the disease in animals through the 

 inoculation of them witli the secretions from the wounds 

 of individuals affected with the disease. In 1889 Kita- 

 sato obtained the bacillus of tetanus in pure culture, 

 and described his method of obtaining it and its bio- 

 logical peculiarities as follows : 



Method of obtaining it. Inoculate several mice sub- 

 butaneously with the secretions from the wound of a case 

 of typical tetanus. This material usually contains not 

 only tetanus bacilli, but other organisms as well, so that 

 at autopsy, if tetanus results, there may be more or less 

 of suppuration at the seat of inoculation in the mice. 

 In order to separate the tetanus bacillus from the others 

 that are present the pus is smeared upon the surface of 

 the several slanted blood-serum or agar-agar tubes and 

 placed at 37° to 38° C. After twenty-four hours all 

 the organisms will have developed, and microscopic 

 examination will usually reveal the presence of a few 

 tetanus bacilli, recognizable by their shape, viz., that of 

 a small pin, with a spore representing the head. After 

 forty-eight hours at 38° C. the culture is subjected to a 

 temperature of 80° C. in a water-bath for from three- 



