TETANUS. 



375 



anaerobic organisms, are given under the appropriate 

 heading (Anaerobic Cultures), and need not be repeated 

 here. 



A very simple method of cultivating the bacillus in 

 bouillon for the purpose of securing a large amount of 

 toxin has been suggested by the author. 1 An ordinary 

 bottle is filled with bouillon to the mouth, and closed 

 by a perforated rubber stopper containing a glass tube 

 a couple of inches long. Connected with this glass 

 tube, by means of a short piece of rubber tubing (a), is 

 the bulb of a broken pipette ^ 



(b), the other end of which is 

 plugged with cotton (Fig. 83). 

 When the steam sterilization 

 takes place the expanding fluid 

 ascends to the reservoir repre- 

 sented by the pipette bulb, de- 

 scending again as the fluid cools. 

 When the sterilization is com- 

 pleted the reservoir is detached, 

 the inoculation made by passing 

 a very fine pipette into the bottle, 

 the projecting glass tube drawn 

 out to a fine tube, and the bottle 

 stood in hot water until the ex- 

 panding fluid ascends to the apex 



Of the pointed glass tube. The durin S sterilization; 2, after in- 

 . 1 1 j • n oculation and sealing. 



tube is now sealed in a name & 



and the bottle and its contents allowed to cool. In cool- 

 ing the retracting fluid leaves a vacuum which at once 

 draws up any minute bubbles of air remaining, and 

 allows the tetanus bacillus to grow in a condition of 

 very fair anaerobiosis. 



Tetanus bacilli exist in nature as widely distributed 

 saprophytes. They are quite common in the soil, and 

 the fact that they are most plentiful in manured ground 



1 Centralbl. f. Bake. u. Parasitenk., xix., Nos. 14 and 15, April 25, 1896, p. 

 550. 



Fig. 83. — Tetanus bottle : t, 



