614 Mouse-septicemia 



injected into mice, the animals died of a septicemia caused 

 by a minute bacillus to which he gave the name " Bacillus 

 der Mauseseptikamie " (Fig. 179)- 



In 1885 the bacillus was again brought into prominence by 

 Loffler and Schutz, who found a supposedly identical organ- 

 ism in the erysipelatous disease (rouget du pore) affecting 

 swine in many parts of Europe. 



There seem to be certain slight morphologic and vege- 

 tative differences between these two organisms, but Baum- 

 garten, Gunther, Sternberg, and others have regarded them 

 as insufficient for the creation of a separate species, and 

 Lorenz has shown that immunity produced in the rabbit by 

 a bacillus from the one source protects against a bacillus 

 from the other. 



Morphology. The bacilli are extremely minute, meas- 

 uring about i.o X 0.2 fJ. (Sternberg). Fliigge, Frankel, and 

 Kisenberg find the bacillus of swine ery- 

 sipelas somewhat shorter and stouter 

 than that of mouse-septicemia. 



Spores have been described by some 

 observers, but it is very certain that 

 none are ever formed. 



Motility is ascribed by some (Schot- 



Fig r .J 8 u~~Mi o1 " telius and Frankel) to Bacillus rhusio- 

 ony of the bacillus , t . , . .* 



of mouse-septice- pathiae suis, but neither organism is 

 mia. X 80 (Fliigge). motile. 



No flagella have been demonstrated. 



Staining. The bacilli stain well by the ordinary methods 

 and by Gram's method. 



Vital Resistance. The organisms grow a little better 

 without oxygen than with it. They are killed by a tempera- 

 ture of 52 C. in fifteen minutes, and die soon after drying. 



Cultivation. The organisms are easily cultivated from 

 blood and tissues of infected animals and grow well in the 

 ordinary media. 



Colonies. The colonies upon gelatin plates can first be 

 seen on the second or third day, appearing as transpa- 

 rent grayish specks with irregular borders, from which many 

 branched processes extend (Fig. 180). Frankel describes 

 them as resembling in shape the branched cells of the lacunae 

 of bone. When older, they coalesce and give the plate 

 a cloudy gray appearance. The gelatin is not liquefied, but 

 is gradually softened and its evaporation thus aided. 



