322 BACILLI PATHOGENIC IN ANIMALS. 



cocci. It is possible that in these cases also the bacteria 

 belonged to the group here described. In like manner 

 the septicaomia formerly described by Davaine, which is 

 fatal to rabbits and guinea-pigs but not to pigeons, 

 seems to have been due to similar bacteria. 



Group of Another smaller group of bacteria is formed by short, 



resembiing e the t]bick cells > egg-shaped when young, and resembling 

 hacim nia ^ e P neumom ' a bacilli; like these they are often sur- 

 rounded by a sheath which can be stained, and in punc- 

 ture cultivations in gelatine they give rise to nail-shaped 

 growths, and on potatoes to thick gelatinous deposits. 

 It is at times impossible to distinguish the species 

 belonging to this group from each other either by the 

 microscope, or by the appearance of the cultivations, 

 and this can only be done by experiments on animals. 



Bacillus cmssus sputigcnus (Kreibohm). 



Kreibohm's These organisms were obtained by Kreibohm on two 

 bacilli^ 11 * occasions from sputum, and on one occasion from the 

 fur on tlie toi] g ue - Tne J present the form of short, 

 thick bacilli, or oblongs with rounded corners ; they 

 are often bent like a sausage, or twisted. Immediately 

 after division the longitudinal diameter is only about a 

 half greater than the transverse, but later on the 

 difference is more marked, so that before new division 

 takes place the bacilli are three or four times as long as 

 thick. The bacilli are often seen to be connected 

 together, either while division is going on, or after 

 division has occurred, but longer threads do not occur. 

 The bacilli, both from blood and from cultivations, 

 frequently present abnormal forms, often showing 

 swollen ends or irregular contours, and here and there 

 converted into shapeless masses. The bacilli stain 

 readily, and retain the stain on treatment by Gram's 

 method ; at higher temperatures (35 C.) they appear to 

 Cultivations, form spores. The bacilli can be cultivated on a number 

 of different substrata. In gelatine plates they form 

 distinct greyish-white points after about 36 hours, 



