380 



BACILLI WHICH CAUSE PUTREFACTION. 



Penetration 

 of the bacilli 

 from the 

 intestine into 

 the internal 

 organs in 

 swine affected 

 with 

 erysipelafe. 



telius in the intestinal contents of the swine ; and as in 

 the cases investigated these bacilli were always most 

 numerous in the organs lying in the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood of the intestinal canal, while they became 

 fewer and fewer in the organs which were more remote 

 from it, it is probable that they enter the body by the 

 intestinal ulcerations which usually occur in this disease, 

 and that they are purely secondary, and on the whole 

 without any important significance. 



Proteus vulgaris (Hauser). 



Hauser's Hauser has shown that in putrefying animal sub- 



bacilla. stances, in all putrefying meat infusions, in the contents 



of putrid ulcers, &c., three species of bacteria almost 

 always occur which show many characters in common, 

 Morphological but also some constant differences. The most common 

 of these varieties Proteus vulgaris forms rods on an 

 average "6 /x. in thickness, and of very varying length ; 

 according to the conditions of their life they are some- 

 times very short, forming almost spherical bodies, some- 

 times they have the appearance of bacilli 1'25 to 3*75 /*. 

 in length, sometimes they appear as threads. These 

 threads are sometimes twisted and convoluted, some- 

 times they present an appearance like plaited hair. 

 Hauser designates these formations as spirilla and 

 spirulina; they, however, give the impression of acci- 

 dental twistings caused by a variety of external con- 

 ditions, and not of a characteristic type of growth 

 recurring in successive generations (see p. 175). Many 

 of the rods are in active movement ; in some distinct 

 long cilia can be seen. Involution forms are frequently 

 observed, large, for the most part spherical bodies, on an 

 average 1*6 p. in diameter. 



The growth of these rods in 6 per cent, nutrient jelly 

 is extremely characteristic. At the temperature of the 

 room round depressions, containing liquefied gelatine and 

 whitish-grey turbid masses of fungi, appear on gelatine 

 plates, even after 6 to 8 hours. Under a low power we see 

 that the gelatine around these depressions is covered by 



Involution 

 forms. 



Cultivations. 



