550 A MANUAL OF BACTEKIOLOGY 



A large number of observations have been made with 

 vaccine lymph, but no distinctive bacterium has been 

 obtained except by Klein and Copeman. Usually the 

 ordinary pyogenic organisms and many saprophytic forms 

 can alone be isolated. Klein observed the presence of a 

 bacillus in vaccinia, which was subsequently more fully 

 studied by Copeman. 1 It was found in vaccine vesicles 

 at an early stage, but at maturation could no longer be 

 detected. It is a very fine bacillus, and these observers 

 were unable to cultivate it. Subsequently Copeman 

 found a similar organism in variola, and succeeding in 

 cultivating the bacillus from both sources in eggs, and from 

 such egg-cultures was able to inoculate calves. Klein, 2 by 

 storing variola crusts in 50 per cent, glycerin and so getting 

 rid of the saprophytic forms, has cultivated an organism 

 which he terms the Bacillus albus variolce. Morphologically 

 it closely resembles the bacillus observed in vaccine lymph ; 

 it forms small white, opaque, coherent colonies on agar, 

 but grows very feebly on gelatin. Involution forms occur, 

 and it seems to belong to the group of diphtheria and xerosis 

 bacilli. On inoculation into calves some approach to, 

 but not typical, vaccinia was produced. Moreover, the 

 inoculated calves were not immune to subsequent vaccina- 

 tion. Copeman 3 inoculated glycerinated vaccine lymph 

 in which the extraneous organisms had died out into 

 collodion capsules filled with beef broth and inserted them 

 in the peritoneal cavity of rabbits, and observed zooglcea 

 masses made up of bodies resembling spores which he 

 regards as the resting stage of the specific microbe. 



De Korte finds that the vesicles, both in variola and in 

 vaccinia, are sterile before maturation, and regards the bac- 

 terial forms that have been isolated as secondary infections. 



1 Milroy Lectures on Vaccination, 1898. 



2 Rep. Med. Off. Loc. Gov. Board for 1896-97, p. 267. 



3 Brit. Med. Journ., 1901, vol. i, p. 450. 



