574 ANAEROBIC ORGANISMS IN GANGRENE 



Agar. Very small translucent colonies often having a muriform appearance 

 are visible about the third or fourth day (Jungano and Distaso). 



VII. BACILLUS FUSIFORMIS. 

 1. Introduction. 



The Bacillus fusiformis was discovered by Vincent in cases of Hospital 

 gangrene. 



The bacillus is constantly found in the lesions of hospital gangrene being present 

 in very large numbers in the pseudo-membranous tissue covering the surface of 

 the wounds. It does not invade the tissues and is never found in the blood or 

 lymphatic glands. 



In the lesions the Bacillus fusiformis may be found in pure culture or associated 

 with other organisms : sometimes micrococci or bacilli are found (especially on 

 the surface of the lesions) but the organism most commonly associated with the 

 bacillus is a spirillum (40 times out of 47 cases examined) which is very delicate 

 and difficult to stain (vide infra). Other organisms which may be found are : staphy- 

 lococci, streptococci, proteus vulgaris, bacillus pyocyaneus, bacillus coli, pneumobacillus. 



The bacillus has also been found by the same observer in cases of sore 

 throat (Vincent's angina), in diphtheroid stomatitis (accompanied by various 

 organisms) and in membranous stomatitis associated with a spirillum. 1 

 Vincent's observations have been confirmed by Bertheim, Raoult and Thiry, 

 Abel and others. 



The bacilli described by Veillon and Zuber and by Grigoroff and Perrone 

 in appendicitis, by Bernheim and Popischill in gangrenous laryngitis, by 

 Silberschmidt in fetid bronchitis, by Freimuth and Petruschy, Passini, Leiner 

 and others in noma, as well as the organism described by Zeitz as the 

 Bacillus hastilis and found by him in the crypts of the tonsil, are all identical 

 with the Bacillus fusiformis. 



The Bacillus fusiformis has been shown to be present in the mouths of 

 healthy persons and in the tartar on the teeth by Muhlens and others. 



2. Experimental inoculation. 



A. Hospital gangrene. Man. Direct inoculation from man to man 

 attempted long ago by Willaume and others, and more recently by Vincent 

 on himself and on a number of Arabs has always failed to set up the lesions 

 of hospital gangrene. 



Animals. 1. In guinea-pigs, rabbits and white rats artificial wounds covered 

 with fresh pieces of membrane have healed rapidly without any of the features 

 of hospital gangrene. The inoculation of emulsions of false membranes 

 either beneath the skin or into the peritoneum, blood, or muscles leads to 

 nothing more serious than an abscess due to the other organisms present. 

 Inoculation fails even after cutting the sciatic nerve, tying the femoral artery 

 or crushing the limb. 



Coyon, however, succeeded in producing an infection in a guinea-pig. He 

 lacerated the muscles of the thigh of the animal and made a deep ragged 

 opening into which he introduced the pseudo-membrane from a case of 

 hospital gangrene. The wound was sutured and the skin painted over with 

 collodion. A funnel-shaped wound developed covered with a tough mem- 

 brane in which the Bacillus fusiformis was present in enormous numbers. 



Healthy animals even when fasting are not susceptible. 



1 This spirillum will be referred to later in connexion with the spirochsete of syphilis 

 which it resembles closely. 



