CULTURAL CHARACTERS. 395 



possessing several laterally placed flagella, but in a given speci- 



men, as a rule, only a few bacilli show active movement. Under 



suitable conditions they form spores which are usually near the 



centre of the rods and have 



an oval shape, their thickness i *jy^ 



somewhat exceeding that of the * 



bacillus (Figs. 132, 133). The ' J ' r ^ r I 



bacillus can be readily stained :\ /* - * \ CC\* *- 



by any of the basic aniline ^ **f~ t & 



stains, but loses the colour in 



Gram's method, in this way ^ ^ *"*>/* A 



differing from the anthrax I ^ * /"* ^ i V^* 



bacillus. 



Characters of Cultures. 



% 

 V 



' n, 



This organism grows readily at *? 1 --'-' 



ordinary temperature, but only FlG I33 ._ Bacil]us of malignant 



Under anaerobic Conditions. In showing spores. From a culture in glucose 



a nunrture culture in a rWn agar ' incubated for three da y s at 37 C. 

 1 a Qeep Stained with weak C arbol-fuchsin. x 1000. 



tube of glucose gelatin, the 



growth appears as a whitish line giving off minute short processes, 

 the growth, of course, not reaching the surface of the medium. 

 Soon liquefaction occurs, and a long fluid funnel is formed, with 

 turbid contents and flocculent masses of growth at the bottom. 

 At the same time bubbles of gas are given off, which may split 

 up the gelatin. The colonies in gelatin plates under anaerobic 

 conditions appear first as small whitish points which under 

 the microscope show a radiating appearance at the periphery, 

 resembling the colonies of the bacillus subtilis. Soon, however, 

 liquefaction occurs around the colonies, and spheres with turbid 

 contents result ; gas is developed around the colonies. 



In deep tubes of glucose agar at 37 C., growth is extremely 

 rapid. Along the line of puncture, growth appears as a some- 

 what broad white line with short lateral projections here and 

 there (Fig. 134, B). Here also gas may be formed, but this is 

 most marked in a shake-culture, in which the medium becomes 

 cracked in various directions, and may be pushed upwards so 

 high as to displace the cotton-wool plug. The cultures possess 

 a peculiar heavy, though not putrid, odour. In litmus milk a 

 feeble acidity is produced with an occasional flocculent precipi- 

 tation of casein at the end of forty-eight hours ; this is soon 



