SPIRILLUM TENUE. 379 



Spirillum tenerrimum. Lehm. and Neum. 



Spirillum I Kutscher (Z. H. xx, 46). Description according to 

 Kutscher : Short S-forms, very fine and thin, as a rule with three or 

 four turns. Flagella have not been stained. Gelatin plates present 

 characteristic colonies with a compact center; then a finely granular, 

 thinner zone, which carries a row of anastomosing rays at the edge. 

 In the gelatin stab the growth resembles that of mouse septicemia, 

 and also a gradual liquefaction occurs from above. Upon agar plates 

 the colonies are like dewdrops. Slight cloudiness of nutrient media 

 without pellicle formation. 



Similar to this is the organism Kowalski has called Spirillum 

 hachaizae. l It is a fine spirillum, sometimes seen in the intestine of 

 cholera cases, but also in human dejecta in masses (also often by our- 

 selves in the stools of cases of suspected cholera). Regarding it, there 

 is a large amount of literature, but it is not of much value. Kowalski 

 (C. B. xvi, 321). 



Spirillum serpens. (E. O. Miiller.) Zettnow (C. B. 

 x, 689). 



(Vibrio serpens O. F. Miiller, emend. Cohn and Kutscher.) 

 Quite large spirilla, thin, with usually three or four slight, abrupt 

 turns (the length of two turns is 5-6 /*), and with a terminal bunch of 

 flagella containing as many as fourteen. In the gelatin plate culture are 

 formed macroscopically small starlets which resemble somewhat micro- 

 scopically those of symptomatic anthrax, but the rays at the periphery 

 are arranged more in a radiating manner, and are only slightly 

 matted. The growth gradually settles down, and in the stab some- 

 times is accompanied by the formation of an air space. Both upon 

 potato and agar it resembles Bact. coli. The nutrient solution is ren- 

 dered very turbid, sometimes with a delicate pellicle. Vigorous indol 

 reaction. Our picture (56, 1), magnified 1000 times, copied from Zett- 

 now, makes the organism appear very much larger than Cohn's 

 description indicates. Our own descriptions correspond to this. 



Spirillum tenue. Ehrenberg, emend. Cohn and 

 Kutscher. 



Thin (0.8//), markedly winding threads, usually with two to five 

 turns (4-15 //), with terminal bunches of very delicate flagella. The 



1 Bonhoff makes the very surprising communication that these fine 

 spirilla are degeneration forms (older forms) of a short organism which 

 grows upon gelatin exactly like the Bact. coli, and, in young cultures, 

 presents the picture of the Bact. coli when magnified 1000 times. 

 The rods have two flagella at one end, do not grow on potato, give the 

 nitroso-indol reaction, do not coagulate milk, and form no gas from 

 grape-sugar (Hyg. Rund. VI, 1896, 351). Further communications 

 regarding this interesting organism are expected, but have not yet 

 appeared. 



