BACILLUS TETANI 579 



sometimes due to the presence of one or the other of these 

 organisms that wounds to which soil has had access (crushed 

 wounds from the wheels of cars or wagons, wounds received 

 in agricultural work, gunshot wounds, etc.) are followed by 

 such grave consequences. 



BACILLUS TETANI, NICOLAIER, 1884. 



In 1884 Nicolaier produced tetanus in mice and rabbits 

 by the subcutaneous inoculation of particles of garden- 

 earth, and demonstrated that the pus produced at the point 

 of inoculation was capable of reproducing the disease in 

 other mice and rabbits. He did not succeed in isolating 

 the organism in pure culture. In 1884 Carle and Rattone, 

 and in 1886 Rosenbach, demonstrated the infectious nature 

 of tetanus as it occurs in man by producing the disease in 

 animals by inoculating them with secretions from the 

 wounds of individuals affected with the disease. In 1889 

 Kitasato obtained the bacillus of tetanus in pure culture, 

 described his method of obtaining it and detailed its bio- 

 logical peculiarities as follows: 



Method of Obtaining. — Inoculate several mice subcu- 

 taneously with secretions from the wound of a case of 

 typical tetanus. This material usually contains not only 

 tetanus bacilli, but other organisms as well, so that at 

 autopsy, if tetanus results, there may be more or less sup- 

 puration at the seat of inoculation in the mice. In order 

 to separate the tetanus bacillus from the others that are 

 present the pus is smeared upon the surface of several 

 slanted blood-serum or agar-agar tubes and placed at 37° 

 to 38° C. After twenty-four hours all the organisms will 

 have developed, and microscopic examination will usually 



