SPECIAL FORMS OF CONJUNCTIVA! INFECTION 143 



cultivated directly, could be grown in symbiosis with suitable 

 organisms, and then might even continue to grow alone. 



It is not absolutely necessary, in order to obtain cultures, that such 

 other organisms be present ; for, in case of severe infections with very 



FIG. 16. CULTURE OF KOCH-WEEKS 

 BACILLUS (KAMEN). x 1,000. 



FIG. 15. KOCH-WEEKS BACILLUS 

 ASCITES AGAR CULTURE. 



x 1,000. 

 The large dark bacilli are B. xerosis. 



vigorous bacilli, pure cultures 

 can readily be grown and pro- 

 pagated. 



After twenty-four to forty- 

 eight hours, the colonies of 

 Koch-Weeks bacilli can be 

 recognized as moist, trans- 

 parent, retractile points or 

 drops. When their surface is 

 focussed under a low magni- 

 fication, they look like small 

 air-bubbles ; when their mar- 

 gins are sharply focussed, they 

 appear round. They lie loosely 

 on the surface of the medium, 

 and can readily be removed. 

 At first they resemble colonies 

 of influenza ; like these, they 

 appear regular in contour and 

 homogeneous in consistency when under the loupe. Under greater 

 magnification ( x 80) a fine stippling, reaching out to the margin, 1 



1 According to L. Miiller, this fine granulation is a point of differentiation from his, or 

 rather the influenza, bacillus. Luerssen states that such is not always the case, as the 

 influenza colonies may sometimes show finely granular colonies. 



FIG. 17. XEROSE BACILLI FROM CASE OF 

 KOCH-WEEKS CONJUNCTIVITIS (KAMEN). 



