480 Prof. H. J. Detmers on a Pathogenic ScMzophyte. 



lung-exudation, &c., if a day or two old, and sometimes while 

 yet fresh, Bacteria of a peculiar shape and form make their 

 appearance. The same are rod-shaped, and a trifle longer 

 than a bispherical Schizophyte, or two united spherical bodies, 

 but are not moniliform, and have at one end, or, in compara- 

 tively rare cases, towards the middle, a bright and light-re- 

 fracting globule of much more density than the rest of the 

 Bacterium. This globule is surrounded by a substance or an 

 envelope of considerably less density, and is therefore less 

 light-refracting. If tliat globule is situated at one end of the 

 Bacterium, as is usually the case, the whole Bacterium pre- 

 sents the shape of a club, because the globule and its envelope 

 have much more diameter than the rod. Billroth calls this 

 form a Uehhacterium, and the globule a resting spore (Dauer- 

 spore). Such a resting spore, according to Billroth and Cohn, 

 at any rate if developed by a Bacillus, is able to resist very 

 high degrees of heat and cold, and is very prolific, as it disse- 

 minates a large number of germs, which probably constitute 

 the source of the globular Bacteria or Micrococci. As such 

 Helohacteria are often found in perfectly fresh blood and exu- 

 dations &c. (in the exudations most frequently) of hogs 

 which are affected with or have died of Swine-plague, aud are 

 nearly always seen if the blood and exudations &c. are a few 

 days old, it appears probable that the same not only constitute 

 the source of the spherical Bacteria or Micrococci, but also 

 that their great tenacity of life, or resistibility against adverse 

 external influences, explains the ability of the infectious prin- 

 ciple of Swine-plague to remain effective for a whole year, if 

 protected, by clinging to or being imbedded in a moist and 

 porous substance, such as an old straw stack &c. 



Whether or not Swine-plague Schizophytes are able to 

 multiply in any other form and manner than stated, I have 

 not been able to observe. One observation, made already at 

 the beginning, has foundnewand repeated confirmation, viz, : — 

 Wherever or as soon as Bacterium termo makes its appearance 

 in large numbers, the Swine-plague Schizophytes begin 

 to disappear, and disappear in about the same ratio in which 

 the former are increasing in numbers. In blood kept in a vial 

 Swine-plague Schizophytes cannot be found when the blood 

 begins to exhibit a purplish colour, or when the blood- 

 corpuscles begin to decay or become destroyed. Further, 

 the Swine-plague Schizophytes, although presenting the same 

 general characteristics when cultivated in fluids foreign to the 

 animal organism of a hog, show differences in so far as they 

 present less uniformity in size, and as this development 

 and multiplication proceed slower and with much less regu- 



