BACTERIA, NOT CLASSIFIED. 717 



0.8 /it broad; often united in chains; grow out into filaments; in old cultures 

 thicker rods of an ellipsoidal form are seen, and spores are formed which en- 

 tirely fill the cell containing them. 



Biological Characters. An aerobic, liquefying, motile bacillus. Forms 

 large oval spores. Grows in the usual culture media at the room tempera- 

 ture. In gelatin stick cultures liquefaction occurs rapidly, forming a fun- 

 nel, at the bottom of which the bacilli accumulate. In streak cultures upon 

 gelatin, at the end of twelve hours, an elevated, dirty-white line of growth 

 is seen along the impfstrich ; this extends latei-ally, and the margins are scal- 

 loped so that the growth resembles a leaf. Upon nutrient agar small, dirty- 

 white, slimy drops, with sharply defined margins, are developed. Gelatin 

 cultures containing litmus or carmine are decolorized by this bacillus. In 

 solutions containing dextrose it multiplies abundantly, producing carbon 

 dioxide and butyric acid. In starch paste containing ammonium tartrate 

 the starch is only dissolved to a slight extent, and no butyric acid is de- 

 veloped. It has but slight action upon cellulose. Potatoes sterilized by 

 steam and inoculated with a pure culture of the bacillus undergo changes 

 corresponding with " Nassfaule " in these tubers. These consist of a decom- 

 position of soluble carbohydrates (sugar), with a formation of carbon dioxide 

 and butyric acid ; then of the intercellular substance and the cell membranes, 

 producing an acid reaction in the contents of the tuber. The starch is not 

 changed. The albuminous substances undergo putrefactive decomposition, 

 with production of ammonia, methylamin, and trimethylamin. These bases 

 first neutralize the butyric acid, and later cause an alkaline reaction of the 

 affected portions of the potato. In milk coagulation of the casein occurs, 

 but no putrefactive change is induced, even at the end of several weeks, as is 

 the case with Bacillus butyricus (Hueppe). 



451. BACILLUS VACUOLOSis (Sternberg). 



Obtained by Sternberg (1888) in cultures from the intestine and stomach 

 of yellow-fever cadavers. 



Morphology. Bacilli with round ends, which vary considerably in the r 

 dimensions and are sometimes slightly curved; length from 1.5 to 5 >u, 

 breadth about 1 /*. In stained preparations unstained places vacuoles ? 

 are seen in the rods. In surface cultures upon agar various involution forms 

 are seen, which also present vacuoles and which are usually considerably 

 larger than the normal bacilli. The bacilli sometimes grow out into long, 

 jointed filaments. 



Stains with the usual aniline colors. 



Biological Characters. An aerobic, liquefying, motile bacillus. Forms 

 large oval spores. Grows in the usual culture media at the room tempera- 

 ture. In gelatin stick cultures liquefaction occurs slowly, near the surface, 

 forming a cup-shaped cavity. The liquefied gelatin is quite viscid, and a 

 cream- white layer of bacilli forms upon the surface of the liquefied medium. 

 In nutrient agar the development along the line of puncture is scanty ; on 

 the surface a cream-white layer is formed and the bacilli are united in long, 

 jointed filaments. It is not always seen to be motile, but under certain cir- 

 cumstances exhibits slowly progressive, to-and-fro movements, as if propelled 

 by a flagellum. Does not grow in an acid medium. On potato a thin, 

 cream-white layer is formed. 



Pathogenesis. Not pathogenic for rabbits. Not tested upon other ani- 

 mals. 



452. BACILLUS OF DANTEC. 



Synonym. Bacille du rouge de morue. 



Obtained by Dantec (1891), in association with other microorganisms, 

 from salted codfish, to which it imparts a red color. 



62 



