BACILLUS (EDEMATIS MALIQNL 341 



a closely related organism to be the causative agent (C. B. 

 XXIV, 577). 



Bacillus oedematis maligni. Koch. 



(Plate 46.) 



Synonyms. — Vibrion septique of the French. Bacillus 

 of malignant edema. 



Literature. — Koch (Mitt. a. d. Gesundheitsamt i, 53); Kitasato (Z. 

 H. VI, 111); Jensen and Sand (Deut. Zeit. f. Tienned., xill); Penzo 

 (C. B. X, 822); Home (C. B. xix, 77); Besson (A. P. IX, 179). 



Microscopically. — Vigorous rods, like tetanus and 

 symptomatic anthrax, but with a greater tendency (of 

 diagnostic value!), especially in the cadaver, to grow into 

 long threads. Active motion is due to rather numerous 

 (20 to 40) peritrichous flagella, but it is only present in the 

 short forms, the long threads being usually scarcely at all 

 motile. In the short rods spores form at the middle some- 

 times, at the end sometimes, and they are oval or spheri- 

 cal. Our cultures were not stained by Gram's method, and 

 most authors have obtained the same result. In cultures 

 we found the Bac. oedematis maligni to be indistinguish- 

 able from the bacillus of symptomatic anthrax, as shown in 

 Plate 46; we have not placed more illustrations in this 

 plate because they would be only repetitions of those of 

 symptomatic anthrax. We found only that the growth was 

 somewhat more scanty than that of symptomatic anthrax, 

 and the vitality of the cultures of shorter duration. Of 

 importance is the universally demonstrated inability to 

 sour milk (to break up milk-sugar) ; the milk is coagulated, 

 with amphoteric reaction. Abundant formation of alkali 

 by the organism reveals itself by darkening of the brain 

 nutrient media. The chemical products have been much 

 studied, and are essentially all enumerated on page 331. 

 Also, in addition, in media containing grape-sugar there 

 occur ethyl alcohol and inactive lactic acid (Kerry). A 

 mixed culture of the Micr. acidi paralactici Nencki and 

 the Bac. ced. maligni produces butyl alcohol abundantly, 

 but neither variety alone can do it (Nencki, C. B. xi, 

 225). 



