MUCOSUS CAPSULATUS GROUP 167 



of the proper organism to start with, except that they are 

 apt to be more uniform in content of lactic acid. The writer 

 prefers to give whey cultures of the Bulgarian bacillus so that 

 one can always know how many organisms are being used. 



The organism, a large one from 12 Q 00 to ^-5- inch in length 

 grows in chains, best at 44 C. or 111 F. in milk, but may be 

 cultivated on other media. The souring of milk takes place 

 within twenty-four hours if the temperature be correct. (See 

 Chapter on Milk.) 



Bacillus Aerogenes Capsulatus of Welch. A very important 

 putrefactive organism in the intestine is the Bacillus aerogenes 

 capsulatus of Welch. This organism grows only in the 

 absence of oxygen. It is a large, straight, or slightly curved 

 rod, from 25 Q 00 inch up to 3^0 inch long by about 30 ooo 

 inch wide, non-motile, and encapsulated. It has the power of 

 fluidifying gelatin and clotting milk. It is introduced to the 

 human body by wounds probably, or it may go out from the 

 intestinal tract through a solution of the mucous membrane. 

 When lodging in the organs it forms gases, giving an appear- 

 ance to the liver called a foam or sponge liver. It has an 

 importance in obstetrics, as gas-infection sometimes appears 

 after mechanical treatment within the uterus. It is probably 

 not pathogenic to entirely healthy tissue, but when an injury 

 devitalizes a part an entrance is afforded. It is responsible 

 for the early bloating of some cadavers. 



This bacterium has attained considerable importance be- 

 cause of the number of infections with it in the Great War. 

 Many of the wounds, especially those due to bursting shells, 

 penetrate deeply into and lacerate tissues, thus supplying a 

 favorable place for these organisms to develop. The bacillus 

 of Welch is widely distributed in soil, which is carried into the 

 wounds. Gas is formed in the devitalized tissue and some 

 toxin elaborated by the germ gives constitutional symptoms. 

 It is probable that the presence of these organisms favors the 

 growth of others. It has been discovered that the bacillus 

 produces extracellular toxin and that an antitoxin will be 



