208 



GLANDERS. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE BACILLUS MALLEI. According to Loffler, 

 the bacillus of glanders appears as a small rod which is somewhat 

 shorter and thicker than the tubercle bacillus ; its length varies but 

 little, and corresponds to about two-thirds of the diameter of a red 

 blood-corpuscle ; the thickness varies between one-fifth and one- 

 eighth of its length (Fig. 7.) These bacilli are either straight or 

 somewhat curved and rounded at their ends. Usually they are 

 found in pairs in a parallel direction held together by a delicate 

 unstained substance. Examined in a drop of fluid they showed 

 active molecular movements. Spontaneous movements could not 

 be observed by Loffler. The colorless and sometimes even some- 

 what dilated portions of the stained bacillus are not spores, but, as 



FIG. 7. 



Bacilli of glanders, a. Section from glandrous nodule, 700 : 1. b. Bacilli of glanders, 

 stained with methyl-blue. (FLUGGE.) 



Loffler affirms, are indications of commencing death of the microbe. 

 Loffler found that dry bacilli occasionally could be made to grow 

 after three months, but in most instances, after a few weeks, they 

 could no longer be cultivated, which fact speaks against the exist- 

 ence of spores. Lundgren saw the bacilli in an agar-agar culture 

 multiply by segmentation. 



STAINING. The manner of staining of the bacilli of glanders is 

 characteristic, as when they are treated by basic and acid aniline 

 dyes no effect is produced. 



Method of Schutz : The sections are placed for twenty-four hours 

 in the following mixture : Potash solution ( 1 in 10,000), concen- 

 trated alcohol, methylene-blue solution, equal parts. Wash the 

 sections in a watch-glass with water acidulated with four drops of 



