BACILLUS CHOLERA GALLINARUM. 315 



containing very numerous bacilli. The whole course 

 of the disease is ol'u n very rapid, lasting only a few 

 hours. 



On post-mortem examination the spleen and liver are Post-mortem 

 found to be enlarged, there is also intense inflammation appea 

 of the intestinal mucous membrane, especially of the 

 duodenum, with numerous haemorrhages, and at times 

 with ulcerations, haemorrhagic infiltration in the perito- 

 neum, haemorrhagic pneumonia, and numerous ecchy- 

 moses in the pericardium, in the pleura, and in the 

 brain. 



Large numbers of short bacilli, very similar to those Microscopical 



described before in rabbit septicaemia, but somewhat f 



shorter and thicker, are found in the blood of the heart, 

 and of all the other organs. They have been described 

 by Pasteur as cocci, but when highly magnified there is 

 no doubt as to their rod character. The fully-grown 

 individuals attain a length of about 1 to 1*2 p., and 

 usually show, when stained, an aggregation of the 

 colouring matter at the ends, as in the case of rabbit 

 septicaemia, the dark poles being se- 

 parated by an unstained central portion. 

 The bacilli are usually in a state of 

 active division, and thus many forms 

 are found which are constricted in the 



.,,, ... ,. , , Fig. 89. Bacilli of 



middle, not unlike a diplococcus, and chicken cholera x 

 also numerous young individuals in 800- 



T . T ,-, , ., . -, T i ji Cover glass prepara- 



which the length is only very slightly tion from a fresh 

 greater than the breadth. We can cultivation. 

 always see, however, with good lenses that even the 

 youngest individuals are not round, but more quad- 

 rilateral with parallel contours in other words, that 

 they are short bacilli. In sections of the organs the 

 rod character is usually much more distinct ; they are 

 found there in varying numbers within the bloodvessels, 

 sometimes only a few examples, sometimes in dense 

 masses. 



The bacilli of chicken cholera can be readily cul- Growth in 

 tivated. On plates of nutrient gelatine they appear on estivation*. 

 the second day as whitish-yellow points, which are seen 



