TUBERCULOSIS. 333 



bovine, and avian tuberculosis are closely related to each 

 other and may have had a common ancestry, there are a 

 few other micro-organisms whose morphology and stain- 

 ing peculiarities suggest a closer relationship than other 

 considerations would warrant. The most important of 

 these is the Bacillus leprae of leprosy (q. v.), which 

 is separately discussed. Another very similar organ- 

 ism is the Bacillus smegmatis, or smegma bacillus. Al- 

 varez and Tavel, Matterstock, Klemperer and Bittu, 1 and 

 others have found a peculiar bacillus in the smegma taken 

 from beneath the prepuce in man and from between the 

 labia minora in women, as well as in the folds of the groin 

 and about the anus, in urine, and occasionally in the saliva 

 and sputum. The organism stains with carbol-fuchsin 

 as does the tubercle bacillus, and resists the decolorant 

 action of acids. It is, however, very readily decolored by 

 the use of absolute alcohol. The bacillus is about the same 

 size and shape as the tubercle bacillus, and is very readily 

 mistaken for it. Its presence is to be expected in all 

 cases of suspected tuberculosis of the genito-urinary ap- 

 paratus, and in staining specimens of urine or other secre- 

 tions washing with strong alcohol is a precaution against 

 error. The final differentiation may have to rest upon 

 animal inoculation. 



So far as is known, the smegma bacillus is a harmless 

 saprophyte. It has been confounded with Lustgarten's 

 bacillus of syphilis, but must be a separate species, as 

 Lustgarten's bacillus was found in lesions of the internal 

 organs. It is harmless to the lower animals when inocu- 

 lated into them. Its cultivation is very difficult. Doutrel- 

 epont and Matterstock, however, have achieved its culti- 

 vation upon coagulated hydrocele fluid, which was browned 

 by their growth. They were unable to transplant the 

 growth successfully. 



Novy 2 recommends the cultivation of the smegma 

 bacillus by inoculating a tube of melted agar-agar 



1 Virchow's Archives, v., 103. 



5 Laboratory Work in Bacteriology, 1899. 



