650 



Malta or Mediterranean Fever 



amined by transmitted light, the appearance of the colonies 

 is somewhat different. At the end of nine or ten days, if 

 kept at 37 C., some of the colonies have a diameter of 2 to 3 

 mm. They are round in form, have an even contour, are 

 slightly raised above the surface of the agar-agar, and are 

 smooth and shining in appearance. On examining the 

 colonies by transmitted light, the center of each is seen to 

 be yellowish, while the periphery is bluish-white in color. 

 The same colonies by reflected light appear milky white in 

 color. Colonies on the surface of the agar-agar are found 

 to be no larger than hemp-seed after a couple of months 

 of cultivation. 



When kept at 25 C., no colonies become visible to the 



* * * 



* 



#* 



.' -.('" * 



Fig. 194. Micrococcus melitensis. 



naked eye before the seventh day; at 37 C., before the 

 third or fourth day. 



The growth in gelatin takes place at room temperature 

 with great slowness, first appearing in about a month, 

 and no liquefaction of the medium occurs. 



No growth takes place on boiled potato. 



Plate cultures are not adapted to the study of the organ- 

 ism because of its extreme slowness of growth. 



Bacteriologic Diagnosis. The specific agglutinative 

 effect of the serum can be made use of for the purpose 



