138 



GLANDERS. 



by the usual plate-methods are rather difficult. Upon nutrient 

 agar it appears as a moist opaque layer. On gelatin its growth 

 is much less voluminous than on agar. It does not liquefy 

 the gelatin. In blood-serum the growth is opaque, moist, of 

 a bright-yellow color ; the serum is not liquefied. On potato 

 at 37 C. its growth is rapid, moist, and of an amber-yellow 

 color, which becomes darker with age and finally becomes of 

 a reddish-brown. It causes clouding of bouillon, with a 

 tenacious, ropy sediment. In litmus milk it produces acidity 



FIG. 52. 



Bacillus of glanders (Bacillus mallei), from culture. (Abbott.) 



in four or five days, as seen by the change of color from blue 

 to red. It also causes coagulation of the milk. 



Bacillus mallei is very susceptible to the eifect of high tem- 

 perature. At 40 C. it will grow for twenty or more days. 

 It will not grow at 43 C., and if exposed to that temperature 

 for forty-eight hours it is destroyed. It is killed by a tem- 

 perature of 50 C. in five hours, and does not survive more 

 than five minutes at a temperature of 55 C. It is aerobic 

 and facultative anaerobic. 



