MICKOSCOPICAL CHAEACTEES 



443 



J.\v ^ 



Fig. 125. — Film taken from margin of 

 spreading gas gangrene, showing numer- 

 ous examples of b. welchii (pure). 1 

 Gram's stain, x 1000. 



resulting in the forma- 

 tion of rounded gas 

 cavities. It is now re- 

 cognised that it is iden- 

 tical with an organism 

 cultivated later by E. J* 

 Fraenkel and called by jfcti 

 him the bacillus phleg- 

 mones, emphysematosa. *■-, 

 The same bacillus was -^»l 

 described by Veillon and 

 Zuber, who gave it the 

 name bacillus per- 

 fringens, by which name 

 the organism, for some 

 reason, is now generally 

 known. During the war 

 it has come into great 

 prominence, as it has 

 been proved to be by far the most important agent in the pro- 

 duction of gas gangrene. We shall speak of it as the b. welchii. 



Microscopical Char- 

 ^-^"~~~ ~^-\^ acters. — As seen in 



the serous fluid in a 

 case of spreading gas 

 *^» gangrene, it is a com- 



paratively large bacillus, 

 measuring usually 4-6 jj. 

 in length (Figs. 125,126) 

 and relatively stout ; 

 but the thickness varies 

 \4 * . . ' " * / somewhat. Its ends are 



somewhat rounded, 

 though those of some 

 of the shorter forms are 

 ***yS almost square. In cul- 



" tures it is rather pleo- 



Fig. 126. — Film from necrosed muscle in gas morphous and in sugar- 

 gangrene showing a few b. welchii with f di there ■ a 

 remains of muscle fibres. 



Gram's stain. xlOOO. tendency to form fila- 



ments (Henry) ; again, 

 short, almost coccus -like forms, may be met with. It is 



1 We are indebted to Major J. W. M'Nee, R.A.M.C, for the preparations 

 from which Figs. 125, 126, 127, and 132 were made, 



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