OTHER ACID-FAST BACILLI 



253 



organisms is constantly being added to, but the following may 

 be mentioned as examples : 



Moeller's Grass Bacilli, I. atid II. The former was found in infusions 

 of Timothy-grass (Phleum pratense). It is extremely acid-fast, morpho- 

 logically resembles the tubercle bacillus, and in cultures may show club 

 formation and branching. The lesions produced closely resemble 

 tubercles. The colonies, visible in thirty-six hours, are scale-like and 

 of greyish-white colour (Fig. 89, a). Moeller's bacillus II. was obtained 

 from the dust of a hay-loft. The colonies at first are moist and some- 

 what tenacious, but afterwards run together, and are of a dull yellowish 

 colour. The general results of inoculation resemble those of grass 



FIG. 88. Moeller's Timothy-grass bacillus. 



From a culture on agar. 



Stained with carbol-fuchsin, and treated with 

 20 per cent sulphuric acid, x 1000. 



FIG. 89. Cultures of acid-fast bacilli 

 grown at room temperature. 



(a) Moeller's Timothy-grass bacillus I. 

 (6) The Petri-Rabinowitch butter bacillus, 

 (c) Bacillus of fish tuberculosis. 



bacillus I. but are less marked. Moeller also obtained a similar organism 

 from milk. He also discovered a third acid-fast bacillus which he 

 obtained from manure and therefore called the " Mistbacillus " (dung 

 bacillus). This organism has analogous characters, though presenting 

 minor differences. It also has pathogenic effects. 



Petri and Rabinowitch independently cultivated an acid-fast bacillus 

 from butter ("butter bacillus") in which it occurs with comparative 

 frequency. The organism resembles the tubercle bacillus, although it is 

 on the whole shorter and thicker. Its lesions closely resemble tuber- 

 culosis, especially when injection of the organism is made into the 

 peritoneal cavity of guinea-pigs, along with butter, the method usually 

 adopted in searching for tubercle bacilli in butter. This organism 

 produces pretty rapidly a wrinkled growth (Fig. 89, b) not unlike that 

 of Moeller's grass bacillus II. Korn has also obtained other two 

 bacilli from butter which he holds to be distinct from one another and 



