CORYNEBACTERIUM DIPHTHERIJE. 389 



extirpated and smear cultures prepared from the same 

 (incubator) : 



(a) Upon potato (brown color of the growth). 



(6) Upon glycerin-agar. 



Also a microscopic preparation is made, and, further, a 

 guinea-pig is injected. 



(B) In the case of living men: The secretions from 

 glanders ulcers are best examined by infections of guinea- 

 pigs. 



(C) In animals at the autopsy : 



1. Cultures and animal investigation with fresh, crushed 

 glanders nodules. 



2. Staining of sections of glanders nodules (difficult). 



Kutscher (Z. H. xxi, 156) has described an interesting pseudo- 

 glanders bacillus. It grows similarly to cholera upon gelatin, lux- 

 uriantly upon agar, white and dry upon potato. Microscopically it 

 resembles the B. mallei absolutely, but stains by Gram's method. It 

 is interesting that, if injected intraperitoneally according to the 

 method of Straus, it produces a swelling of the testicle in male 

 guinea-pigs, as the B. mallei does. The swelling is due more to 

 nodular swelling of the coverings of the testicle than to swelling of its 

 substance. The animals usually die after four or five days, when a 

 peritonitis (often hemorrhagic) dominates the picture. There are no 

 nodules in the other abdominal organs, but the omentum is always 

 rolled up and highly inflamed. 



Corynebacterium diphtherias (Loffler.) L. and N. 1 



(Plates 58, 59, and 60.) 



Synonym. Bacillus diphtherias Loffler. 

 Common Names. Diphtheria bacillus, Loffler' s ba- 

 cillus. "Loffler." 



Literature. Loffler, Mitt. a. d. Ges. Ami, Bd. n. Complete list 



1 The statement of Zupnik (Berl. klin. Wochenschr., 1897, No. 50), 

 that the diphtheria bacillus may be separated into two varieties, could 

 not be verified by Slawyk and Manicantide (Z. H. xxix, 181). Zupnik 

 divides them as follows: 



(a) Relatively large, flat, dull agar colonies, of irregular contour. 

 They stain by Gram's method, are non-motile, and are fully virulent 

 for guinea-pigs. Bouillon is not cloudy and only presents the forma- 

 tion of a pellicle. 



(ft) Smaller agar colonies; circular, conically elevated, shining. 

 They do not stain by Gram's method, are sluggishly motile (!), and 

 in guinea-pigs produce only infiltration and necrosiSj and never death. 



