CHAPTER XXII. 



BACILLI SHOWING STAINING REACTIONS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF 



THE TUBERCLE BACILLI LUSTGARTEN'S BACILLUS SMEGMA 



BACILLUS LEPROSY BACILLUS GRASS BACILLI. 



Lust gart en's Bacillus Smegma Bacillus. 



BACILLI were discovered by Lustgarten in syphilitic lesions of 

 syphilitic ulcers (1884), and believed by him to be the specific cause 

 of this disease. It has since been shown that in normal smegma from 

 the prepuce or the vulva bacilli are found in great abundance, similar 

 in their morphology to the bacillus of Lustgarten, but differing, as a 

 rule, slightly in certain staining peculiarities. (See Fig. 98.) 



Morphology. Straight or curved bacilli, which bear considerable 

 resemblance to tubercle bacilli, but differ from them in staining reactions. 



The bacilli are not usually found free in the 

 tissues, but commonly lie singly or some- 

 times in groups within the interior of cells, 

 having a round, oval, or polygonal form, 

 and apparently somewhat swollen. 



Staining. The bacillus of Lustgarten 

 stains with almost as much difficulty as the 

 tubercle bacillus, but is much less resistant 

 ^ ^ ^ to the action of certain decolorizing agents, 



such as mineral acids, particularly sulphuric 

 acid. 



Biological and Pathogenic Properties. 

 smegma bacilli, similar in char- Numerous attempts have been made to cul- 



acteristics to Lustgarten's bacillus. ,. .1 i *n p T * 



x 1100 diameters. tivate the bacillus of Lustgarten on arti- 



ficial media, but with doubtful success. 

 The inoculation of animals has also given only negative results. 



Lustgarten's bacillus has been found in various syphilitic tissues and 

 lesions, in beginning sclerosis, in the papules, in condylomata and 

 gummata, and not only in the vicinity of the genitals, but also in the 

 mouth, throat, heart, and brain. No satisfactory experimental evidence 

 has been given of its causative relation to syphilis. The finding of 

 saprophytic bacilli the so-called smegma bacilli (Fig. 98 and Plate L, 

 Fig. 4) almost identical morphologically with the bacillus of Lustgarten, 

 under the prepuce of healthy persons, does not prove the identity of 

 the two bacilli, though, in the absence of cultures and inoculation experi- 

 ments, we have not the means of establishing their relationship to one 

 another. The smegma bacilli have never been identified in other parts- 



