SPIRILLUM (SPIROCILETE) OBERMEIERI. 



479 



be seen that the colouring matter is irregularly distri- 

 buted in the rod, being less plentiful at the ends. Lewis* 

 has nevertheless held that these 

 organisms are identical with cholera 

 bacilli; but they differ very dis- 

 tinctly from these, in that the 

 spirilla of the saliva cannot be 

 cultivated by any of the ordinary 

 methods of cultivation. Hence 

 the isolation of these bacteria and the study of their 

 characters has not as yet been possible. 



Fig. 129. Spirillum 

 srmtigenum (after 

 Ermengem) X 700. 



They grow on 

 none of the 

 ordinary 

 nutrient sub- 

 strata. 



Spirillum (Spirocliczte) Olermeicri. 



These organisms were first observed by Obermeier in Spirilla of 

 the blood of patients suffering from relapsing fever, fever 8 1 

 They have the form of long, wavy, flexile threads, with 

 10 to 20 convolutions ; their length varies between 16 

 and 40 /*., their breadth is from | to that of the comma 

 bacilli. In fresh preparations the spirilla are seen to be 

 motile ; they move quickly, and 

 also show undulatory movements, 

 which pass in a wavy manner 

 through the whole length of the 

 thread. Colouring matters, more 

 especially fuchsine, alkaline methy- 

 lene blue, and Bismarck brown, are 

 comparatively readily taken up; 

 nevertheless, on account of their 

 fineness, it is only possible to dis- 

 cover these spirilla, when present in small numbers, 

 with high powers, and good illumination. Larger 

 numbers of the bacilli, which in many cases fill the 

 blood, are on the other hand readily recognised, both 

 in fresh and in stained preparations. 



The spirilla are found exclusively in the blood of the Occurrence. 

 patients, never in the secreta; further, they are only 

 present during the febrile attack, but not in the interval 

 between the attacks, or at most only for two days after 



* Lancet, 183 i, 20 Sept. 



Fig. 130. Spirilla of 

 relapsing fever in 

 blood X 500. 



