CHARACTERS OF CULTURES. 



397 



Characters of Cultures. This organism grows readily 

 at ordinary temperature, but only under ancerobic conditions. 

 In a puncture culture in a deep tube of glucose gelatine, 

 the growth appears as a whitish line giving off minute short 

 processes, the growth, of course, not reaching the surface 

 of the medium. Soon liquefaction occurs, and a long fluid 

 funnel is formed, with 

 turbid contents and 

 flocculent masses of 

 growth at the bottom. 

 At the same time 

 bubbles of gas are 

 given off, which may 

 split up the gelatine. 

 The colonies in gela- 

 tine plates under anae- 

 robic conditions appear 

 first as small whitish 

 points which under the 

 microscope show a 

 radiating appearance FIG. 101. Bacillus of malignant oedema, 



at the periphery, re- showing spores. From a culture in glucose 

 sembling the Colonies a S ar ' incubated for three days at 37 C. 

 r . .,1 Stained with weak carbol-fuchsm. x 1000. 



ot the bacillus subtihs. 



Soon, however, liquefaction occurs around the colonies, and 

 spheres with turbid contents result ; gas is developed around 

 the colonies. 



In deep tubes of glucose agar at 37 C, growth is ex- 

 tremely rapid. Along the line of puncture, growth appears 

 as a somewhat broad white line with short lateral projec- 

 tions here and there (Fig. 102, B). Here also gas may be 

 formed, but this is most marked in a shake culture, in which 

 the medium becomes cracked in various directions, and 

 may be pushed upwards so high as to displace the cotton- 

 wool plug. The cultures possess a peculiar heavy, though 

 not putrid, odour. 



Spore formation occurs above 20 C., and is usually 

 well seen within forty-eight hours at 37 C. The spores 



