BACILLUS (EDEMATIS MALIGNI 



Cultivated soil contains not only the B. Tetani but 

 also the B. CEdematis Maligni (Koch) or Vibrion 

 Septique (Pasteur). Earth containing this organism 

 when inoculated subcutaneously gives rise to a 

 rapidly fatal disease — malignant oedema — character- 

 ised by the production of extensive subcutaneous 

 oedema, starting from the point of inoculation and 

 emphysema due to copious production of gas in the 

 tissues. The same organism appears to be the cause 

 of the occasional complication of wounds known as 

 " acute emphysematous gangrene," " gangrene foud- 

 royante," &c. 



In the reddish fluid which fills the oedematous 

 tissues and in the contents of the bullse which form 

 on the affected parts are found rather large, jointed, 

 motile bacilli closely resembling in size and shape the 

 B. Anthracis but distinguished from this organism 

 by their motility, the less angular outline of the 

 cells, and by the occurrence of chains of bacilli 



