BACTERIOLOGY OF SOME DISEASES OF SHEEP 7 



^ It Stained readily with the usual stains, and gave a positive reaction 

 with Gram's process. One peculiarity with this stain was that in some 

 cases a part or the whole of the rod did not give a deep blue stain, but 

 was coloured a more or less faint lilac. Whether this was due to a 

 degeneration or not could hardly be determined, since similar films 

 stained in a normal manner with methylene blue or fuchsin. Repeated 

 attempts with cilia stains gave in each case a negative result. 



Growth on Gelatine. 



Under aerobic conditions no surface growth was obtained. 



Stab cultures under oil, after three days' incubation, began to show a 

 faint greyish growth along the needle track, which, after a week's 

 incubation, had produced a cone-shaped area of liquefaction, resembling 

 that of the Finkler-Prior vibrio, the growth falling as a white film to the 

 bottom of the cavity. 



Radiating from the sides of this cavity were a few white processes, 

 which divided, dichotomously, each to terminate in a small, round 

 colony. A few gas bells developed within the liquefied area, as well as 

 in the neighbouring solid gelatine. 



Growth on Agar. 



After 24 hours' incubation at 37° C, a line of greyish growth 

 developed in stab culture, and a few gas bells had formed. After three 

 days, this line had thrown out coarse lateral projections, but the excessive 

 development of gas had torn up the medium. 



Surface Culture grown under Hydrogen. 



After two days' incubation, growth made itself apparent by the 

 development of small, pin-head colonies, circular in outline, with sharply- 

 defined margins. Later on these increased in size, fusing to form a well- 

 marked white line, elevated above the level of the medium. After five 

 days' incubation, the growth spread, laterally giving more the appearance 

 of a cluster of grapes. The density of colour produced by the develop- 

 ment of the colonies lay between that of a staphylococcus albus and a 

 micrococcus candicans. 



(407) 



