546 PATHOGENIC ANAEROBIC BACILLI. 



Long and slender spiral filaments are found in pure cultures which are be- 

 lieved to be gigantic flagella. These are seen in preparations stained with 

 gentian violet as unstained spiral filaments, usually from 17 to 25 n long ; 

 some are of uniform thickness and others spindle-formed, having a thickness 

 of 1.7 to 2.6 p in the middle, and tapering to a scarcely visible line at the ex- 

 tremities. These flagella are readily stained by Loffler's method. They are 

 attached to the periphery of the rods, as in the typhoid bacillus. In artifi- 

 cial cultures they are usually from 40 to 50 /" long. With reference to the 

 peculiar spindle-formed bodies found in the cultures Novy says : " As to the 

 character of these gigantic flagella little can be said. Loftier, who, so far as 

 I know, was the first to observe these singular forms, regarded them as bun- 

 dles or collections of flagella." 



Although at first inclined to doubt this, Novy says, in a postscript to his 

 paper, that an examination of photo-micrographs, which had been made to 

 accompany it, convinces him that Loffler's explanation is probably correct. 



Biological Characters. An anaerobic, motile bacillus. The motions are 

 not active, but consist in a very moderate to-and-fro swinging motion. Does 

 not form spores. Does not grow at the room temperature. Grows at tem- 

 peratures of 24 to 38 C. The best media for its development are slightly 

 alkaline bouillon, gelatin, or agar, containing two per cent of glucose. May 

 be cultivated in a vacuum or in an atmosphere of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, 

 or illuminating gas. Also in long stick cultures in agar. In glucose-agar 

 plates colonies develop in fifteen hours at 38 C. These appear as small, 

 white masses the size of a pin's head, which, under the microscope, appear 

 to be made up of thickly felted threads. The smaller colonies appear as a 

 network of branching lires, very similar to the colonies of the tetanus ba- 

 cillus ; larger colonies have a dark centre, with an irregular, fringed margin, 

 and are surrounded by delicate filaments. In glucose-agar stick cultures 

 growth occurs along the line of puncture to within one cubic centimetre of 

 the surface, but is not as abundant as the growth of the bacillus of malig- 

 nant oedema or of symptomatic anthrax. At 38 C. development occurs within 

 twelve to sixteen hours, and has reached its maximum at the end of twenty- 

 four hours. An abundant development of gas occurs, which splits up the 

 agar and forces the upper portion towards the top of the tube. The develop- 

 ment of gas is most abundant in alkaline media, being almost absent in media 

 having a neutral or acid reaction. The most favorable medium is a fresh al- 

 kaline bouillon containing two per cent of gelatin, of glucose, and of pep- 

 tone. 



Pathogenesis. Pathogenic for rabbits, guinea-pigs, white mice, white rats, 

 pigeons, and cats. Death usually results in from twelve to thirty-six hours 

 after the subcutaneous injection of one-tenth to one-fourth cubic centimetre 

 of a pure culture. At the autopsy an extensive subcutaneous cedema is found 

 extending from the point of inoculation. The fluid in the brawny connective 

 tissue is usually colorless, sometimes of a pale-red color. A small amount of 

 gas is commonly present. The pleura! cavities contain an enormous amount 

 of serous exudate, which at first is fluid, but when the autopsy is delayed be- 

 comes gelatinous. In rabbits and guinea-pigs the amount of this serum ob- 

 tained from the pleural cavities may be from fifty to sixty cubic centime! r s. 

 The bacilli are usually not very numerous in this serum from the subcuta- 

 neous tissues and pleural cavity. 



Kerry (1894) has described a " new pathogenic anaerobic bacillus " which 

 resembles that of Novy in several particulars. It does not grow at the ropin 

 temperature, does not form spores, and is pathogenic for mice, rats, rabbits, 

 and guinea-pigs ; it forms "very long and thick flagella, which may be sjn'r- 

 alia gechlangelt." This bacillus was obtained from a guinea-pig inoculated 

 with dried blood (suspended in water containing lactic acid and glucose) 

 which had been obtained from a cow that was supposed to have died of 

 Rauschbrand. 



