BACILLUS PERFRINGENS 515 



the incidence of gas gangrene in them would not be as 

 high as it is in wounds of muscle (Kettle). 



B. Perfringens (Veillon and Zuber) 



Synonyms. E. aerogenes capsulatus (Welch and Nuttall), 

 Granule -bacillus saccharo-butyricus immobilis liquefaciens (Grass- 

 berger and Schattenfroh), B. Welchii, gasphlegmon bacillus 

 (Frankel), bacillus of acute rheumatism (Achalme : see " Rheu- 

 matism "). 



This organism was originally described by Welch and 

 Nuttall under the name B. aerogenes capsulatus 1 in 

 conditions accompanied by much development of gas in 

 the tissues, as in cases which might be described either 

 as phlegmonous erysipelas or as emphysematous gangrene, 

 especially after injuries. It is also met with occasionally 

 in perforative peritonitis and in various septicsemic and 

 pysemic conditions, in the puerperal state, 2 complicated 

 stricture, etc. 



The B. perfringens is widely distributed, and has been 

 cultivated from the soil, dust, and contents of the intes- 

 tines of man and animals. Gas-bubbles found in the blood 

 and internal organs (" foamy organs ") at an autopsy seem 

 generally to be due to this organism, but perhaps may 

 occasionally be caused by other putrefactive bacteria. 



Morphology. The B. perfringens is a non-motile, 

 sporing bacillus, varying from 4 to 8 p, in length (Plate 

 XVIII, b). It occurs singly, in short chains, or in clumps, 

 and occasionally in long threads. It stains well with the 

 ordinary anilin dyes and also by Gram's method in the 

 exudate and in young cultures, but in older cultures many 



1 See Welch and Nuttall, Bull. Johns Hopkins Hosp., vol. iii, 1892, p. 81 ; 

 Welch, "Shattuck Lecture," ibid., vol. xi, 1900, p. 185; Dunham, ibid., 

 vol. viii, 1897, p. 68 ; Welch and Flexner, Journ. Exper. Med., vol. i, 1896, 

 p. 5 ; Blake and Lahey, Journ. Amer. Med. Assoc., vol. liv, 1910, p. 1671. 



2 See Little, Bull. Johns Hopkins Hosp., vol. xvi, 1905, p. 136. 



332 



