BACILLUS OF TETANUS. 395 



THE BACILLUS OP TETANUS. 



In 1884 Nicolaier produced tetanus in mice and rab- 

 bits by the subcutaneous inoculation of particles of 

 garden earth, and demonstrated that the pus produced 

 at the point of inoculation was capable of reproducing 

 the disease in other mice and rabbits. He did not 

 succeed in isolating the organism in pure culture. In 

 1884 Carle and Rattone, and in 1886 Kosenbach, de- 

 monstrated the infectious nature of tetanus as it occurs 

 in man by producing the disease in animals through 

 the inoculation of them with the secretions from the 

 wounds of individuals affected with the disease. In 1889 

 Kitasato obtained the bacillus of tetanus in pure culture, 

 and described his method of obtaining it and its biological 

 peculiarities as follows : 



Method of obtaining it. Inoculate several mice sub- 

 cutaneously with the secretions from the wound of a 

 case of typical tetanus. This material usually contains 

 not only tetanus bacilli, but other organisms as well, so 

 that at autopsy, if tetanus results, there may be more or 

 less of suppuration at the seat of inoculation in the mice. 

 In order to separate the tetanus bacillus from the others 

 that are present, the pus is smeared upon the surface of 

 several slanted blood-serum or agar-agar tubes and 

 placed at 37 to 38 C. After twenty-four hours all 

 the organisms will have developed and microscopic ex- 

 amination will usually reveal the presence of a few 

 tetanus bacilli, recognizable by their shape, viz., that of 

 a small pin, with a spore representing the head. After 

 forty-eight hours at 38 C. the culture is subjected to a 

 temperature of 80 C. in a water-bath for from three- 



