560 PATHOGENIC AEROBIC BACILLI 



BACILLUS GRACILIS CADAVERIS (Steinberg) . 



Obtained (1889) from a fragment of liver, of man, kept for forty-eight 

 hours in an antiseptic wrapping. 



Morphology. Bacilli about 1 JLI broad and 2 jn long, associated in long 

 chains. 



Biological Characters. An aerobic and facultative anaerobic, non- 

 motile, non-liquefying bacillus. Spore formation not observed. In gelatin 

 roll-tubes the deep colonies are opaque and spherical ; superficial colonies 

 circular or slightly irregular in outline, white in color, and opaque or slightly 

 translucent. In gelatin stab cultures, at 22 C. , at the end of five days a 

 rather thick, white mass at the point of puncture, covering one-third of the 

 surface, and closely crowded, opaque colonies at bottom of line of puncture, 

 with slender, branching outgrowth above. In nutrient agar, at the end of 

 five days at 22 C., a milk-white growth upon the surface and opaque 

 growth to bottom of line of puncture. On potato, at end of five days at 

 22 C., rather thick, cream-white growth with irregular margins along the 

 impfstrich. Cultures in bouillon have a milky opacity and a very disagree- 

 able odor. Grows in agua coco without formation of gas. 



Pathogenic for rabbits when injected into the cavity of the abdomen. 



CAPSULE BACILLUS OF NICOLAIER. 



Obtained by Nicolaier (1894) from pus contained in an abscess of the kid- 

 ney obtained post-mortem. 



Morphology. Thick bacilli, with rounded ends, usually four times as 

 long as thick, and frequently presenting irregular outlines ; often united in 

 pairs, and sometimes growing out into filaments; cocci-like forms also occur. 

 Often surrounded by a capsule which remains unstained in stained prepara- 

 tions. Does not stain by Gram's method. 



Biological Characters. An aerobic, and facultative anaerobic, non- 

 liquefying, non-motile bacillus. Does not form spores. Grows at the room 

 temperature and more rapidly at 37 C. Upon gelatin plates at 20 C., at 

 the end of twenty-four to thirty-six hours punctiform colonies are devel- 

 oped, which under a low power appear finely granular, and grayish-yellow 

 spheres. At the end of forty-eight to sixty hours the superficial colonies ap- 

 pear as round or slightly irregular, grayish- white discs, which project but lit- 

 tle above the surface of the gelatin, and have thin, transparent margins. 

 The deep colonies have a sharply defined contour, with dark-brown centre 

 and a purely granular pale-brown marginal zone. In gelatin stab cultures 

 a slightly elevated, moist-looking, sticky layer with more or less transparent 

 margins is developed. In slanting cultures this growth gradually slips down 

 to the lowest part of the exposed surface, leaving a thin, gray, transparent 

 layer over the gelatin ; along the line of puncture a ribbon-like, grayish- 

 white growth with irregular margins is developed. In media containing 

 glucose some gas bubbles are developed. The growth is much more rapid 

 in the incubating oven at 37 C., and there is an abundant development of 

 gas in agar tubes. Upon potato a grayish- white, slimy mass with a shining 

 surface is quickly developed. In bouillon, at the end of twenty-four hours, 

 at 37 C., the medium is clouded throughout, and a grayish- white deposit ac- 

 cumulates at the bottom of the tube. Development occurs also in acid 

 media. 



Pathogenesis. Pathogenic for house mice, white mice, and for rats not 

 for rabbits or guinea-pigs by subcutaneous injections. As Nicolaier has 

 made a careful comparison of the characters of the various " capsule bacilli" 

 described, we quote from him as follows : 



"Our bacillus in its morphology and growth in various media closely re- 

 sembles that of Fasching and of Abel, both of which were obtained in patho- 



