VARIOUS BACILLI IN THE SOIL 159 



Bacillus spinosus was also found by Liideritz in the juice 

 from the tissues of white mice inoculated with garden mould. 

 Like the last, it can only develop anaerobically, and liquefies 

 gelatine. In high cultures there are visible in two days 

 little punctiform fluid spots, from which radiating processes 

 soon push out ; in later stages an expansion appears at the 

 layers of gelatine above and below the track of inocula- 

 tion, giving the slimy, liquefied mass the form of a sand- 

 glass. This bacillus also generates a gas, which has an 

 odour resembling cheese in growths on gelatine containing 

 sugar. 



Bacillus liquefaciens magnus. In the juice of the sub- 

 cutaneous tissue of animals inoculated with garden mould, 

 Liideritz also found the bacillus of this name, which consists 

 of large rods rounded at the ends, and endowed with an 

 active motility. It is also an anaerobe, and its growth 

 resembles that of the moulds and liquefies gelatine, the 

 liquefaction in thrust-cultures not taking an hour-glass-, 

 but a more cylindrical sausage-like, form. Mossy colonies 

 develop on agar. The gas generated by it smells very 

 unpleasantly, recalling the odour of onions. 



Bacillus scissus. This bacillus was discovered in the 

 earth by Percy Frankland; It displays short, thick, immotile 

 rods, and does not liquefy gelatine. The colonies on the 

 gelatine plate develop superficially, and in thrust-cultures 

 no growth takes place along the puncture canal, but an ir- 

 regular deposit with smooth edges forms on the surface. A 

 slight greenish colour is imparted to the gelatine. 



Besides the above there exists in the earth an entire 

 series of different micro-organisms, amongst which especially 

 the Bacillus rmnosus and Bacillus siibtilis are met with. 

 They possess, however, no significance, so far as research 

 has shown up to the present. 



Clostridium foetidum. By the name Clostridia are under- 



