OTHER ACID-FAST BACILLI. 



255 



bacilli have been discovered. Such bacilli have a compara- 

 tively wide distribution in nature, as they have been obtained 

 from various species of grass, from butter and milk, from manure, 

 and from the surfaces of animal bodies. Microscopically, they 

 agree more or less closely with tubercle bacilli, though many 

 are shorter and plumper; many of them show filamentous and 

 branching forms under certain conditions of culture. Moreover, 

 on injection, they produce granulation-tissue modules which may 

 closely resemble tubercles, although on the whole there is a 

 greater tendency to softening and suppuration, and usually they 

 are localised at the site of inoculation. The most important 

 point of distinction is the fact that their multiplication on arti- 

 ficial media is much more rapid, growth usually being visible 

 within forty-eight hours and often within twenty-four hours. 

 Moreover, in most instances, growth occurs at the room tem- 

 perature. The general character of the cultures in this group is 

 a somewhat irregular layer, often with wrinkled surface, dry or 

 moist in appearance, and varying in tint from white to yellow or 

 reddish brown. The number of such organisms is constantly being 

 added to, but the following may be mentioned as examples : 



Moeller^s Grass Bacilli, /. and II. The former was found in infusions 

 of Timothy-grass (Phleum pratense). It is extremely acid-fast, morphologi- 

 cally resembles the tubercle bacillus, 

 and in cultures may show club forma- 

 tion and branching. The lesions ^^ /* * 

 produced closely resemble tubercles. 

 The colonies, visible in thirty-six ,4 



i i iM J r i_ 4^ if 



hours, are scale-like and of greyish- / < ? , _ j 



white colour. Moeller's bacillus II. | '/( A # 



was obtained from the dust of a hay- - ***Vj/*l>* f^ 



loft. The colonies at first are moist fej & .*>/ 



gjCS"i # H * / 



and somewhat tenacious, but after- V;|j \f / 



wards run together, and are of a dull * 



yellowish colour (Fig. 93). The -Ai " ^\ f ^ 1 \ * *** 



general results of inoculation resemble *""*^j*. % 



those of grass bacillus I. but are less "/ 



marked. Moeller also obtained a 



similar organism from milk. He also Fia 93 Moeller's Timothy-grass bacil- 



lus. From a culture on agar. Stained with 



discovered a third acid-fast bacillus carb ol-fuchsin, and treated with 20 per cent 

 which obtained from manure and sulphuric acid, x 1000. 

 therefore called the " Mistbacillus " 



(dung bacillus) . This organism has analogous characters, though presenting 

 minor differences. It also has pathogenic effects. 



