GARTNER'S BACILLUS 177 



GARTNER'S BACILLUS 



Bacillus Enteritidis. 



Bacillus of Gartner. 



The cause of one form of meat poisoning, and closely allied to 

 the paratyphoid bacillus in its morphological characteristics. It 

 gives a classical picture of the type "paracolon." 



Morphology and Stains. This organism is a short plump 

 ovoid; is motile; has about eight flagella; does not form spores; 

 and stains well with all the common aniline dyes, but not with 

 Gram's method. 



Vital Resistance. It is a facultative anaerobe. It is destroyed 

 by means outlined for the colon bacillus when in culture. In 

 meat it must be subjected to prolonged heating. 



Cultures. Grows on all the common culture media. In 

 bouillon thrives well, producing gas in media containing dextrose. 

 It ferments without gas production lactose, galactose, maltose, 

 and cane sugar. Does not produce indol, which distinguishes 

 it from the colon bacillus, to which it is closely allied. In milk 

 it reduces litmus and coagulates the casein in a few days. On 

 potato it grows well, producing a yellowish shining layer. On 

 gelatine it multiplies without liquefying the medium. Super- 

 ficial colonies in plates are pale and gray, deep colonies yellow 

 and spherical. 



Chemical Activities. Acid, gas and a powerful heat-resisting 

 toxin which is soluble, are found. Infected meat contains this 

 toxin, which is not destroyed by cooking. 



Pathogenesis. It is pathogenic for man, horses, cattle, and 

 laboratory animals. Neither the bacilli nor the toxin they elabo- 

 rate are destroyed by moderate heat. Flesh is infected before 

 death, after which, both the bacilli and toxin increase. Mischief 

 follows the partaking (usually in the form of sausages, etc.) of 

 this meat, causing, in men, violent nausea and diarrhoea, skin 



eruption, and in severe cases, pneumonia, nephritis, collapse and 

 12 



