122 

 BACILLUS TETANI. Nicolaier (188-4J. 



SYNONYMS OF TETANUS. LOCK JAW ; \\TNDSTARRKRAMPF (Germ.}. 

 TETANOS (Fr.). 



Origin. Found in animals that diedof tetanus after inoculation 

 with earth ; from traumatic tetanus of man and animals ; from 

 head-tetanus. 



Form. Large, narrow rods with rounded ends ; frequently 

 forms threads. 



Motility. Is motile. Simple stains with gentian violet of old 

 agar culture may show long spirals. 



Sporulaticn. Occurs rapidly, in 24-48hours at 37 C. Forms 

 terminal spores, with enlargement drum-sticks. 



Anilin Dyes. Stain rapidly. Gram's method is applicable. 

 Spores can be double-stained. 



Growth Pure cultures obtained by heating the spore-bearing 

 material to 80 C., to destroy the ordinary bacteria. Growth slow. 



Plates. At ordinary temperature colonies develop in gelatin in 4-7 days, 

 and resemble those of the Hay bacillus or Proteus. The gelatin is slowly 

 liquefied and gas produced. On agar plates the colonies appear as fain't 

 clouds which, under the microscope, are seen to be made up of a whorl of 

 threads which are finer than those of other anaerobes. 



Stich cultures. Development restricted to the lower part of the tube. 

 Cultures of glucose gelatin lubes show along the line of inoculation a cloudy 

 growth, radiating outward into the surrounding gelatin; resembles that of 

 the Root, bacillus. Eventually the gelatin is liquefied. Gas bubbles present. 

 In glucose agar at 37 C. the growth is sometimes indistinct and shows radi- 

 ations. 



Streak cultures.- -On glucose (tf/nr develop rapidly. 



Houillnn. At :>7 becomes diffusely cloudy and remains so for several 

 days; eventually the growth settles to the bottom, forming a scarcely visible 

 sediment distinction from preceding anaerobes. 



Glucose geldfin colored with litmus. At "7 C. becomes liquefied; a 

 very small sediment forms, and the culture remains blue, showing absence of 

 acid formation distinction from preceding. 



Milk Grows well in milk without inducing any change. Does not 

 invert starch. 



Oxygen requirements. Is an obligative anaerobe Grows in 

 vacuum, hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbonic acid. 



Temperature. Does not grow below 16 C. The optimum is 

 about 38 C. 



Behavior to Gelatin. Liquefies. 



Aerogenesis. Gives rise to gaseous products, also disagree- 

 able penetrating odor. Hydrogen sulphide. 



Attenuation. Partial loss of virulence by culture. Thymus 

 bouillon attenuates. 



Immunity. Iodine trichloride; thymus bouillon cultures; 

 blood serum of artificially immunized rabbits, horse, sheep, dog ; 

 milk of immunized goat. 



Pathogenesis. Man, horse, sheep, guinea-pigs, young cattle, 

 goats, white mice and white rats, are susceptible. Rabbits and 

 dogs are less susceptible. Ducks and chickens are immune. The 

 bacillus is present at the point of inoculation, although in small 

 numbers. Intensely poisonous products. The filtered bouillon 

 culture in a dose of 0.0002 c. c. kills mice, and 0.002 c. c. kills 

 guinea-pigs. 



Infection. Occurs through wounds, Poisoned arrows of the 

 New Hebrides. 



