CHAPTER III. 

 MALIGNANT EDEMA. 



THE chief contaminating organism in the preparation 

 of pure cultures of the tetanus bacillus is a large slender 

 bacillus almost as large as that of anthrax, but with 

 rounded ends and an individual motility accomplished 

 by means of flagella attached to its ends and sides 

 (Fig. 100). It is a strictly anaerobic bacterium, and was 



FIG. 100. Bacillus of malignant edema, from the body-juice of a guinea-pig 

 inoculated with garden-earth; x 1000 (Frankel and Pfeiffer). 



originally described by Pasteur (1875) as the Vibrion 

 septique. It grows well at the room-temperature, as well 

 as at the temperature of the incubator, produces oval 

 central spores, and, because of its association with a spe- 

 cific edema in certain animals, is known as the Bacillus 

 oedema maligni. 



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