TETANUS 131 



due to the soluble poisons (toxins) produced by 

 them. 



Usually the wound shows little or no redness, 

 swelling, or suppuration, and if these conditions are 

 present, they prove the presence of other organisms. 

 This absence of local signs constitutes one of the 

 gravest dangers of tetanus, as there is always a period 

 of incubation of from seven to twelve days before 

 the manifestation of convulsions, and this lapse of 

 time makes treatment at this stage usually fruitless. 



Kitasato, who first isolated Bacillus tetani, gives the 

 following statements regarding its toxic peculiarities : 

 "When cultures of this organism are robbed of their 

 bacteria by filtration through porcelain, the filtrate 

 contains the soluble poison, and is capable, when 

 injected into animals, of causing tetanus. 



"Inoculations of other animals with bits of the 

 organs of the animal dead from the action of the 

 tetanus poison produce no result ; but similar inocu- 

 lations with the blood or with the serous exudate of 

 the pleural cavity always result in the appearance 

 of tetanus. The poison is therefore largely present in 

 the circulating fluids. 



"The greatest amount of poison is produced 

 by cultivation in fresh neutral bouillon of a very 

 slightly alkaline reaction. 



