BACILLUS (EDEMATIS MALIGNI. 245 



death, but no spores; the latter are, however, observed 

 when the body has lain for some time after death at a 

 high temperature. 



? The oedema bacilli are apparently extremely widely 

 distributed in our surroundings. They appear to be phyticife of 

 present in almost all decomposing substances in greater bacim dema 

 or less numbers, and they perhaps also take a definite 

 though limited part in the putrefactive process. As is 

 shown by the behaviour of the pure cultivations, the 

 oedema bacilli have the power of energetically peptonis- 

 ing albumen, and possibly also of further breaking up 

 the albuminous molecule. A more accurate analysis 

 of the nature of the decomposition is as yet wanting, at 

 all events the oedema bacilli can pass through their 

 characteristic cycle of development as saprophytes. In 

 accordance with this we find them in the most various 

 putrid substances, in the bodies of nnimals which have died 

 of suffocation and have then been kept at a high tempera- 

 ture, in the faeces, and in the intestinal contents ; their 

 spores are present in every specimen of earth which has 

 . been impregnated with putrid fluids, &c. ; they are also 

 found in the dust of rooms, in the dust of rags, of hay, 

 &c. 



At the same time, also, the oedema bacilli possess Pathogenic 

 pathogenic properties, and by means of these their pre- fhe^edenaa 

 sence can be most easily demonstrated, and they can be bacilli - 

 most readily isolated from the mixture of other sapro- 

 phytes. If not too small an amount of garden earth or 

 hay dust is introduced under the skin of a guinea-pig 

 (this is best done by making a small cut with scissors 

 through a fold of skin over the abdomen, and then 

 loosening the subcutaneous cellular tissue with the 

 handle of the scalpel so that a small pocket is formed, 

 which is then filled with earth and the wound closed 

 with one or two stitches), the animal becomes ill very 

 soon, and dies in 24 to 48 hours. On post-mortem 

 examination the most striking appearance is an extensive 

 subcutaneous oedema extending from the seat of inocu- 

 tion,the oedematous fluid being clear and red, and contain- 

 ing numerous bacilli and a few gas bubbles. The internal 



