TETANOID BACILLI ,511 



by Gram's method. Examine microscopically, looking for the 

 spore-bearing rods or " drum-sticks." A " drum-stick " bacillus 

 is, however, not necessarily the tetanus bacillus. 



(2) If " drum-sticks " be found, an attempt may be made to 

 isolate the bacillus by making anaerobic plate cultivations from 

 the discharge after heating it in capillary pipettes to 80 C. for 

 half an hour. 



(3) Inoculate mice and guinea-pigs with the heated discharge. 

 If they die with tetanic symptoms, treat the pus at the seat of 

 inoculation as in (2). 



Other anaerobic organisms having terminal spores which occur 

 in wounds are : 



B. tertius (Kodella's Bacillus III ; Hibler's Bacillus IX). 

 Slender rod, feebly motile. Gram-staining + . Spores readily 

 formed, oval and terminal. Deep colonies in agar : small and 

 lenticular. Serum and gelatin : not liquefied. Milk : acid clot 

 in three to six days with some gas. Meat broth : pink colour 

 with some gas ; no digestion. Active fermenter of most sugars, 

 mannitol and salicin, but glycerol, inulin and dulcitol not fer- 

 mented. Frequent in wounds and in gas gangrene. Non- 

 pathogenic to guinea-pigs (see Plate XIX, &). 



B. cochlearius. Slender rod, actively motile. Gram-staining . 

 Spores terminal ; when young, spherical, and the sporing rod is very 

 like B. tetani ; when older, oval, and sporing rod spoon-shaped (hence 

 name). Deep colonies in agar : small and lenticular. Milk : 

 little growth and unchanged. Serum and gelatin : not liquefied. 

 Meat broth : colour unchanged, no digestion, and very little gas. 

 Carbohydrates, alcohols and glucosides not fermented. Often 

 persistently associated with B. sporogenes in culture. Non- 

 pathogenic to guinea-pigs. Frequently associated with B. tetani 

 in wounds. 



B. tetanomorphus. Resembles B. tetani closely. Gram -positive. 

 Deep colonies in agar : small and irregular, but not woolly. 

 Gelatin : not liquefied. Milk : unchanged. Meat broth : pink 

 colour, no digestion. Glucose and maltose fermented ; other 

 carbohydrates, alcohols and glucosides not fermented. Non- 

 pathogenic to guinea-pigs. Frequently present in wounds. 



B. sphenoides. Small motile rod, Gram-staining . When 

 young and non-sporing, somewhat fusiform in shape. The spore, 

 when young, is sub -terminal, but as it grows becomes terminal, 



