MODE OF MULTIPLICATION. 33 



mouly seen. With the streptococci, however, the tendency 

 is for the segmentation to continue in one direction only, 

 resulting in the production of the long chains of 4, 8, 

 and 12 individuals. 



The sarcinse divide more or less regularly in three 

 directions of space, but instead of becoming separated 

 the one from the other as single cells, the tendency is 

 for the segmentation to be incomplete. The cells remain 

 together in masses and the indentations upon these masses 

 or cubes which indicate the point of incomplete fission 

 give to these bundles of cells the appearance commonly 

 ascribed to them that of a bale of cotton or packet of 

 rags. 



The multiplication of the bacilli is in the main similar 

 to that given for the micrococci. A dividing cell will 

 elongate slightly in the direction of its long axis; an 

 indentation will appear about midway between its poles, 

 and will become deeper and deeper until eventually two 

 daughter cells will be formed. This process may occur 

 in such a way that the two young bacilli will adhere 

 together by their adjacent ends in much the same way 

 that sausages are seen to be held together in strings, or 

 the segmentation may take place more at right angles to 

 the long axis, so that the proximal ends of the young 

 cells are flattened while the distal extremities may be 

 rounded or slightly pointed. In the anthrax bacillus, 

 with which we are subsequently to become more inti- 

 mately acquainted, the segmentation, when completed, 

 results in an indentation of the adjacent extremities of 

 the young segments, so that by the aid of high magni- 

 fying powers these surfaces are seen to be actually con- 

 cave in their outline. Bacilli never divide longitudinally. 



With the spore-forming bacilli, under favorable con- 



