BACILLUS OF SYPHILIS 205 



mass numerous minute accumulations of condensed matter 

 having a brown colour (fig. 80). 



Bacillus of syphilis. In tissues affected with syphilitic 

 disease and in the layer of pus covering syphilitic ulcers 

 Lustgarten found small comma-bacilli showing a slightly 

 S-shaped curvature, but they have not as yet been cultivated 

 outside the body. In the interior of the tissues they are not 

 found in the interstices of fibrous bundles or other tissue 

 elements, but are included in cells which are much larger 

 than the white blood-corpuscles. The methods of staining 

 are of particular interest. They are carried out in the case 

 of tissues only with fine sections prepared from them ; but 



Finely 



granular 



superficial 



coating 



Central mass 



FIG. 80. SUPERFICIAL COLONY OF G-ONOCOCCUS ON A SERUM AGAR PLATE. 

 (After Wertheim.) 



in the case of secretions a portion is placed upon a cover-glass 

 and spread out by rubbing. Staining is then done with 

 Ehrlich's solution of gentian violet in aniline water, in which 

 the preparations are allowed to remain for twenty-four hours 

 at ordinary temperature, or for two hours at that of the incu- 

 bator. They are then placed in absolute alcohol, and after 

 that for ten seconds in a 1^ per cent, solution of potassium 

 permanganate, which deprives the tissues of their colour 

 while the bacilli retain their violet tint. To remove the 

 precipitate of manganese dioxide which forms upon the 

 specimens, they are immersed in an aqueous solution of sul- 

 phurous acid. The preparation can be mounted in Canada 



