VI] GENERAL CHARACTERS OF BACTERIA 121 



number of flagella stand in no definite relation to the 

 intensity of the movement. Tetanus bacilli of a culture 

 examined in the hanging drop show at best only sluggish 

 motility, and yet on staining for flagella the astounding fact 

 (see Kanthack's specimens) will appear that most of the 

 bacilli possess, at one or both ends, and on the sides, long 

 flagella, these sometimes in bundles. I have isolated a 

 spore-forming virulent anaerobic bacillus (bacillus enteritidis 

 sporogenes) from the fluid evacuations of cases of epidemic 

 diarrhoea, which is closely related to the bacillus butyricus 

 of Botkin ; it shows only feeble motility ; in fact, in an 

 ordinary fresh preparation made from a sugar gelatine 

 culture amongst the many rod-shaped or cylindrical bacilli 

 there is rarely one met with that shows motility. And yet 

 when staining for flagella numerous bacilli possess flagella ; 

 one, two, three, or more, at one or both ends, some 

 short individuals possess a bunch of flagella of extreme 

 length (many times longer than the bacillus itself) at one 

 end, and a few long cilia at the other. In fact, no greater 

 misproportion between feeble motility of only a few bacilli 

 and the frequency and number of flagella can be imagined. 

 As to (2), from the intensity of the motility of the fresh 

 microbes no conclusion can be drawn as to the number and 

 length of the flagella. To mention a few examples : the 

 cholera vibrio of a culture, though motile in a most extra- 

 ordinary manner, possess only one short spiral flagellum; 

 the very motile bacilli of proteus vulgaris possesses only one 

 flagellum at one end ; some varieties of bacillus coli 

 extremely motile possess only two flagella, while other 

 varieties less motile possess two, three, up to ten flagella; 

 the tetanus bacillus and the bacillus enteritidis sporogenes 

 are good cases in point. 



