204 INFECTIONS OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT 



heating to 70 C. for one hour reduced it still further; 

 but even boiling did not wholly destroy it. 



In order to determine whether this hsemolytic action 

 was dependent in part on volatile ammonium com- 

 pounds, the capsulatus filtrate was rendered distinctly 

 alkaline with sodium carbonate and concentrated under 

 reduced pressure at a low temperature for the removal 

 of ammonia. The filtrate was then restored to its 

 original volume. It was found that the hsemolytic 

 action of the fluid was somewhat diminished but not 

 lost. 



The hsemolyzing action of B. aerogenes capsulatus is 

 very clearly shown in fermentation tubes containing 

 sugar-blood bouillon which have been inoculated with 

 pure cultures. A free liberation of haemoglobin occurs in 

 twenty-four hours or less. A similar result is seen in the 

 case of an aerobic organism closely resembling B. aero- 

 genes capsulatus in morphology. The bacillus of malig- 

 nant oedema does not exert a hsemolyzing action under 

 similar conditions. B. putrificus was found to reduce 

 hemoglobin, but this change is much less marked in the 

 case of B. aerogenes capsulatus. 



There are other indications that B. aerogenes capsulatus 

 makes a hsemolytic substance or ha3molytic substances. 

 Rabbits injected with pure cultures of B. aerogenes capsu- 

 latus and then incubated at 37 C. soon show indications 

 of haemolysis, whereas control animals subjected to the 

 same procedure do not exhibit an equal degree of hee- 

 molytic change in the same period of time. This corre- 

 sponds with the observation that advanced haemolysis 



