NOT DESCRIBED IN PREVIOUS SECTIONS. 519 



scription we have given shows, closely resembles Friedlander's pneumo- 

 bacillus. It is distinguished from it by certain constant characters. The 

 ozsena bacillus forms in cultures a more fluid mass than Friedlander's. As 

 a result of this it does not form the characteristic nail-head culture, but 

 spreads out over the surface of the gelatin. Upon slanting gelatin cultures 

 the growth slips down to the lowest point. In old cultures it never shows a 

 brown coloring of the culture medium. It never forms gas on potato, and 

 in agar and gelatin cultures but little gas is developed. Mice always suc- 

 cumb to subcutaneous inoculations, while Friedlander's bacillus does not 

 kill mice. Intraperitoneal infection of guinea-pigs with the ozaeiia bacillus 

 always causes their death. Friedlander's bacillus only killed about half the 

 guinea-pigs inoculated in the cavity of the abdomen. Finally, Friedlander's 

 bacillus has a greater tendency to cocci-like forms. The resemblance to 

 Pfeiffer's capsule bacillus is closer. But the tenacious layer described by 

 Pfeiffer as found upon the intestinal coils and the lungs in mice, and the 

 sticky condition of the blood and tissue juices (fadenziehende) are want- 

 ing. The reaction at the point of inoculation in mice is also much more 

 pronounced with my bacillus." 



It seems extremely probable that this bacillus, the Bacillus capsulatus mu- 

 cosus of Fasching, and the above-described capsule bacillus of Nicolaier 

 are simply pathogenic varieties of one and the same bacillus. 



164. CAPSULE BACILLUS OF VON DUNGERN. 



Obtained by von Dungern (1893), post mortem, from a new-born child 

 which died of hemorrhagic septicaemia infection through umbilicus. 



Morphology. A short, thick bacillus, from 1 to 2 / long and half as 

 broad, surrounded by a capsule which is slightly stained by gentian violet 

 best seen in the body of infected mice ; sometimes seen in pairs or in chains 

 of four elements ; also grows out into filaments, especially in bouillon. 

 Upon potato usually only small spherical elements, resembling micrococci, 

 are seen. Does not stain by Gram's method. 



Biological Characters. An aerobic and facultative anaerobic, non- 

 motile, non-liquefying bacillus. Does not form spores. Coagulates milk, 

 in which it causes an abundant development of gas at 38 C. Has feeble 

 indol reaction. Grows well at room temperature, more rapidly in incubator. 

 Upon gelatin plates the deep colonies at end of twelve hours are the size of a 

 pin's head, finely granular, spherical, and sharply defined. Upon the sur- 

 face, porcelain-like, elevated, white colonies are developed, which in two or 

 three days attain the size of lentils. In gelatin stick cultures development 

 occurs all along the line of puncture, frequently with formation of gas bub- 

 bles. Upon agar a thick, soft layer of a white color is developed. In bouil- 

 lon, at 38 C., there is considerable development of gas. Upon potato the 

 growth is very abundant, of a pale yellowish- white color, thick, soft, some- 

 what sticky, and filled with gas bubbles. A great portion of the surface is 

 covered by this growth at the end of twenty -four hours, even at the room 

 temperature. These cultures give off a peculiar odor, sometimes aromatic- 

 foetid and sometimes recalling that of fresh bread. Some of the cultures on 

 potato soon become cream-like in consistence. At first they have an alkaline 

 and later an acid reaction, when they have the odor of acetic acid. 



Pathogenesis. Very pathogenic for white mice. The bacilli are found 

 in the blood and in all the organs in enormous numbers. At the point of 

 inoculation there is frequently a hemorrhagic oedema. The spleen is greatly 

 enlarged. Also pathogenic for guinea-pigs when injected into the cavity of 

 the abdomen less pathogenic for rabbits. 



According to von Dungern, this bacillus can not be distinguished by its 

 morphological and biological characters from Friedlander's bacillus, Bacil- 

 lus capsulatus of Pfeiffer, or Bacillus canalis capsulatus of Mori. But it is 

 distinguished from these by greater virulence, especially for rabbits, and by 



