Prof. H. J. Detmers on a Pathogenic Schtzophyte. 479 



moving. I have never yet been able to see it while the 

 Schizophyte was at rest. 



These double Micrococci^ or bispherical Schizophytes, soon 

 undergo further development. Each single cell soon again 

 contracts in the middle while growing endwise, and at the 

 same time separates more and more, and becomes partially 

 independent of its sister cell, with which, however, it remains 

 connected for some time, even after it has completed its dupli- 

 cation. Meanwhile the sister cell, too, has become bispherical, 

 and what a short while ago was a simple bispherical cell, has 

 become a double bispherical body, resembling a small chain of 

 four round joints. But the duplication does not stop ; each 

 of the four single cells, within a short time, doubles again ; 

 and soon quite a little rod or filament will be formed, which, 

 on close inspection, presents a string or chain of bispherical 

 cells, loosely connected endwise with each other. Under 

 moderately high powers (say of 800 or 900 diameters) such a 

 string represents a slender, rod-shaped moniliform Bacterium. 

 While the single cells, or each half of each bispherical body, 

 soon develop into double or spherical cells, the connexion be- 

 tween the latter gradually loosens, so that finally, if the tem- 

 perature is not too low, and the development a rapid one (I 

 have frequently observed that the number of bispherical cells 

 in such a chain becomes doubled in less than five minutes), 

 the chain breaks up into smaller ones (joints) , each consisting 

 of one or two bispherical Schizophytes, which, in separating 

 from their neighbours, after some swinging to and fro, spin 

 or draw out a very slender thread, a flagellum or cilium. But 

 before all these changes (this rapid duplication) take place, 

 the spherical Micrococci^ when about to change to bispherical 

 bodies, form those clusters {Zooglcea or Coccoglia masses) 

 which, being imbedded in, or kept together bj, apparently 

 viscous substance, obstruct the capillaries, and, according to 

 my observations, constitute the principal and direct cause of 

 the morbid process. In these Zoo^^aa-masses the single 

 Micrococci y it seems, undergo their first metamorphosis, or 

 change to double bispherical cells ; and this change continues 

 till portions of the Zoogloea-msiss separate, or till finally the 

 Coccoglia breaks and opens, when the bispherical bodies, and 

 also some yet unchanged spherical Micrococci, become free. 

 The former very soon commence their duplication ; but as each 

 new cell or globule soon produces another one and becomes 

 bispherical, the same cannot be the source of the spherical 

 bodies or Micrococci. The latter, it appears, have another 

 origin, as will be presently explained. 



In Swine-plague material, such as blood, blood-serum, 



35* 



