340 



MICROBIOLOGY 



in connection with anthrax. Gaffky 3 found that this organ- 

 ism existed in the upper layers of garden soil and in dust. It 

 has since been found to be somewhat widely distributed in 

 external nature and it has also been reported from the intes- 

 tines of animals and man. 



Morphology. This bacillus is a long slender rod. It is 

 about 1 /A in width and from 3 to 8 /x in length. They possess 



Fig. 69. Bacillus of malignant oedema showing flagella and spores 

 (Hutyra and Marek). 



numerous flagella. The motility is sluggish. It produces oval 

 spores which appear irregularly, either in the center or near 

 the ends of the organism. It does not have a capsule. 



Staining. It is stained readily with the usual aniline 

 dyes. It is Gram negative. 



Cultivation. This organism is an obligatory anaerobe. 

 It develops readily under anaerobic conditions on the usual 

 media. It grows like the bacillus of black leg in media con- 

 taining glucose. 



Agar. Stab cultures in agar show a growth within 24 to 

 36 hours when kept at body temperature. In from 1 to 2 days 

 .the growth gives a clouded appearance extending from the 

 line of inoculation. If sugar is present gas bubbles appear 

 throughout the medium. Colonies or growths appear. Under 

 the microscope the growth exhibits radial filaments. 



Gaffky. Mitt. a. d. Kais. Gesundheitsamt, Bd. I (1881) p. 80. 



