352 Veranus Alva Moore 



In the microscopical examination of well-executed prepara- 

 tions for exhibiting the flagella three conditions have been 

 universally observed : (i) In certain fields there were a 

 greater or less number of bacteria which exhibited no flagella; 

 (2) there were a considerable number of detatched or free fla- 

 gella lying between the bacteria ; and (3) the numbers of fla- 

 gella on the different bacilli were not constant. On the other 

 hand, however, fields could be selected in which there were no 

 detatched filaments and where every germ was provided with 

 motile appendages. 



The flagella appear as hair-like appendages or filaments, 

 which radiate from the bacteria. They are given off from the 

 cell wall of the germs of which thej^ appear to be continua- 

 tions or projections. This can be clearlj' shown by their re- 

 action to the following staining fluid. If to 3 c. c. of the mor- 

 dant I c. c. of a saturated alcoholic solution of fuchsin is added 

 and the preparation treated in the usual way with this solu- 

 tion for about five minutes, the flagella and peripherj' of the 

 bacteria will be stained with equal intensit}-, while the central 

 portion of the cells will remain unstained. Bj' allowing the 

 reagent to act for a much longer time or by appljdng the usu- 

 al stain, the entire organism will become deeply tinted. This 

 would indicate that the cell wall and flagella were alike in 

 their composition, or at least in their reaction to a certain 

 staining fluid, and that the contents or nucleus was different. 

 The sharp outlines of the flagella as observed in stained prepa- 

 rations, would indicate that they are organized elements. I 

 have been unable to make out any differentiation of their 

 structure. 



The appearance of shorter and longer free flagella and the dif- 

 ference in the length of those still attached to the body of the 

 germs is due apparently to their detachment and breaking dur- 

 ing the separation of the individual bacteria from the clo,se]y 

 packed masses in which they grow on solid media. In these 

 cultures the long filaments on the different individuals ap- 

 pear to become entangled with each other, causing the 

 separation of the bacteria to be accomplished with difficulty 

 and presumably with more or less injury to their organs of 



