XL] BACILLUS: PATHOGENIC FORMS. 153 



After a few days' incubation, no matter what the tempera- 

 ture is, many of the bacilli and their leptothrix-filaments 

 show signs of degeneration, consisting in the granular disin- 

 tegration and absorption of the protoplasmic contents of the 

 bacilli and their filaments, at first only here and there, but 

 by and by over longer pieces. Such bacilli and leptothrix- 

 filaments appear in such places as if empty. This is also 

 noticed in the bacilli of the blood and spleen of an animal 

 inoculated with anthrax even at the point of death or soon 

 after death, if the number of bacilli is great. 



FIG. 84. FROM AN ARTIFICIAL CULTURE OF BACILLUS ANTHRACIS IN BROTH 

 AFTER MANY DAYS INCUBATION. 



The threads are swollen and curled up, and in many places the protoplasm has 



disappeared, leaving the sheath and septa distinct 

 Magnifying power 700. (Stained with Spiller's purple.) 



Another form of degeneration consists in the filaments of 

 bacilli becoming much curled and swollen, and finally 

 disintegrated into an amorphous debris. 



As long as the bacilli grow in the depth of a fluid they 

 never form spores, but when grown on the surface with free 

 access of air, or on solid media (e.g. serum gelatine, gelatine 

 broth, Agar-Agar, potato, &c.), the bacilli, having developed 

 into filaments, proceed to form spores. But they may form 

 spores even in fluid media if by some accident, either by 



