124 PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SURGERY 



every case, the pus emits a characteristic fetor and some 

 gas, and often holds in suspension numerous connective tis- 

 sue sloughs, indicating the intensity, and gangrenous char- 

 acteristics, of the inflammation the micro-organism is capa- 

 ble of developing. When the colon bacillus is found in 

 various lesions at the post mortem, its faculty of penetrating 

 the tissues after death must always be taken into account. 

 This feature of the coli communis, its pathogenic power 

 under favorable conditions and its constant presence in the 

 bowels, have in the past led to erroneous conclusions and 



,|S5rJ. "•' - 



•u-ltv **-v*'5 .%»»*'* '-'■'J'-^ 



Fig. 9. 

 Colon Bacillus with ]?"lagella. 



some wild speculations as to the place where it actually 

 belongs in the category of pathogenic bacteria. 



Toxins. — It does not liberate free toxin, in which con- 

 nection it simulates the pyogenic cocci. An intracellular 

 poison has been shown to exist, by the injection of sterilized 

 cultures into animals. 



7. BOTRYOMYCES EQUI.— This bacterium has been 

 described under several different names, among which are : 

 dyscomyces equi, botryococcus, micrococcus ascoformans, 

 and micrococcus botryogenes. Its role as a disease-pro- 

 ducing bacterium, and even its very existence as a special 

 being, has been questioned. Moore, after investigating the 



