BACILLUS FUSIFORMIS 



575 



2. By operating upon animals whose resistance had been lowered by a 

 micro-organic disease, or by mixing the bacillus in the emulsion with other 

 organisms Vincent succeeded in producing hospital gangrene. 



A tuberculous rabbit was inoculated sub-cutaneously in the flank with 1 c.c. of an 

 emulsion of gangrenous material : at first a small abscess formed, and later an ulcer 

 appeared covered with a membrane containing the bacillus. 



Hospital gangrene has been produced in rabbits by mixing the virus with a few 

 drops of a culture of streptococci, staphylococci, bacillus coli, bacillus of Friedlander 

 or bacillus pyocyaneus. In these lesions the ancillary organism always tends to dis- 

 appear leaving the specific organism in practically pure culture. Most frequently 

 the ancillary organisms occur on the surface of the lesions while the Bacillus fusi- 

 formis predominates in the deeper layers of the exudate. Inoculations from animal 

 to animal do not succeed. 



B. Vincent's angina. Inoculation of the false membranes from cases of 

 Vincent's angina beneath the skin or into the muscles of laboratory animals 

 produces abscesses and ulcerating foci of necrosis in which the Bacillus fusi- 

 formis together with many other organisms is found. The inoculation at the 

 same time of a 1 in 5 solution of lactic acid stimulates the formation of the 

 lesions and the growth of the bacillus. 



The inoculation of impure cultures obtained by sowing pieces of the false 

 membranes in Martin's broth gives rise to similar lesions. 



C. Pure cultures. The inoculation of pure cultures of the bacillus from 

 whatever source derived is generally followed by negative results ; the 

 pathogenic power of different strains varies and in any case rapidly disappears 

 in sub-cultures (Ellermann). 



Muhlens, and Tunnicliffe have invariably had negative results : the former 

 inoculated pure cultures (5th and 7th generations) intra-venously, intra- 

 peritoneally, and sub-cutaneously into rabbits, guinea-pigs, and mice and 

 only once obtained a small abscess in a rabbit. 



Leiner and Kepaci investigated some strains which were pathogenic for 

 rabbits and mice. Ellermann produced suppuration but not necrosis. 



3. Microscopical appearance and staining reactions. 



Microscopical appearance. The Bacillus fusiformis is a long rod-shaped 

 organism measuring 5-10/^ x 0'6-0'8/x slightly swollen in the middle and 

 pointed at the ends ; it is non-motile. 



In films prepared from the false membranes 

 Vincent's angina and stained with carboi-fuchsin 

 or one of the carbol-violet stains, numerous 

 bacilli of the type described above will be seen, 

 often straight but sometimes slightly curved or 

 assuming the form of an elongated S. Many of 

 the bacilli are arranged in pairs. The appear- 

 ance of these organisms recalls to some extent 

 the appearance of the bacillus of malignant 

 oedema, but with this difference, that the ends 

 of the Bacillus fusiformis are not square-cut 

 but rounded or tapering which gives them their 

 characteristic fusiform appearance. 



The number of the bacilli in a preparation 

 depends upon the severity of the case from 

 which it is derived : if it be a mild case twenty 

 or thirty may be found, but if severe the number is so considerable as to be 

 truly described as a pure culture. 



of hospital gangrene or 



