Bacillus Pyocyaneus 



321 



Bezancon* has isolated this organism from a case of meningitis. 

 Forneacat has reported a case of generalized tetragenous septicemia. 



Bacillus Pyocyaneus (Gessard) 



General Characteristics. — A minute, slender, actively motile, flagellated, non- 

 sporogenous, chromogenic and feebly pathogenic, aerobic or facultative anaerobic, 

 liquefying bacillus, staining by ordinary methods, but not by Gram's method. 



In some cases pus has a peculiar bluish or greenish color, which 

 depends upon the presence of Bacillus pyocyaneus of Gessard. { 



Distribution.- — The bacillus appears to be a rather common 

 saprophyte, being found in feces, manure, and water. It easily 









a: 



«. 



Fig. 114. — Bacillus pyocyaneus, from an agar-agar culture. X 1000 

 (•Itzerott and Niemann). 



takes up its residence upon the skin and mucous membranes, and 

 has been found in the perspiration. It sometimes occurs as a sapro- 

 phyte upon the surgical dressings applied to wounds, and some- 

 times invades the tissues through wounds, to occasion dangerous 

 infections. 



Morphology. — It is a short, slender organism with rounded 

 ends, measuring 0.3 X i to 2 /:, according to Fliigge; 0.6 X 2 to 

 6 n, according to Ernst, and 0.6 X i At, according to Charrin. It 

 is quite pleomorphous, which probably accounts for the difference 

 m measurements. It is occasionally united in chains of four or six. 

 It is actively motile, has one terminal flagellum, and does not form 

 spores. 



It closely resembles a harmless bacillus found in water, and 



* "Semaine Medicale," 1898. 



t "Riforma Medica," 1903. 



t "De la Pyocyanine et de son Microbe," Th6se de Paris, 1882. 



