BOTULISMUS 123 



accompanied with fever, albumirmria, and skin eruptions of various 

 form and intensity. The gastro-intestinal symptoms occur after 

 eating tainted meat, or meat from animals slaughtered while suffering 

 from pyaemia, septicaemia, and puerperal fever. The organisms 

 mostly identified as the cause of these symptoms belong to the coli 

 group, and more rarely in some cases to the proteus group of 

 organisms. 



The second form of symptoms are analogous to those of the 

 so-called sausage-poisoning, with pronounced nervous symptoms of 

 central origin, secretory and motor disturbances, suspension of salivary 

 secretion, dryness and redness of the mouth and pharyngeal mucous 

 membrane, difficulty in swallowing, hoarseness, mydriasis, ptosis, etc. 

 This form is now known as botulismus, and appears after the con- 

 sumption of certain kinds of blood and liver sausages. It is also 

 caused by using decayed salt fish, smoked meat, hams, preserved 

 meats, etc. 



Microscopical Appearances of the Bacillus botulinus. 

 Large rods 4 to 6 ft long, 0*9 to 1*2 /x broad, with slightly rounded 

 ends. The formation of threads was seldom observed, but involution 

 forms were frequent. They are rarely found in the blood and 

 organs of infected animals, being mostly situated at the point of 

 inoculation. 



Motility. Slightly motile, possessing four to eight flagella. 



Staining Reactions. The staining is easy, and positive results 

 are obtained with the Gram method when the alcohol is not allowed to 

 work too long during the process of decolorizing. 



Spore Formation. Spores are formed in the cultures, and in 

 organical structure they are ovoid in shape, and situated usually in the 

 end, very seldom in the centre of the rod. 



Vitality. They are destroyed by a temperature of 85 C. in 

 fifteen minutes, and at 80 C. in an hour. Five per cent, carbolic acid 

 destroys them in less than twenty-four hours. Dried spores exposed 

 to diffuse daylight still produce cultivations in three months. 



Biological Characters. The Bacillus botulinus is strictly 

 anaerobic, and grows best between 20 and 30 C. ; at over 35 C. spores 

 are no longer formed, the growth is not so luxuriant, and involution 

 forms appear. 



The culture media must be decidedly alkaline, and the addition of 

 2 per cent, grape sugar favours their growth. 



On Gelatine Plates, in four to six days, round, transparent, brownish- 

 yellow colonies develop, having a thick, lustrous, granular appearance, 

 and surrounded by a small liquefied area ; later the margins of the 



