376 BACTERIOLOGY. 



THE BACILLUS OF TETANUS. 



In 1884 Nieolaier produced tetanus in mice and rab- 

 bits by the subcutaneous inoculation of particles of 

 garden earth, and demonstrated that the pus produced 

 at the point of inoculation was capable of reproducing 

 the disease in other mice and rabbits. He did not 

 succeed in isolating the organism in pure culture. In 

 1884 Carle and Rattone, and in 1886 Rosenbach de- 

 monstrated the infectious nature of tetanus as it occurs 

 in man by producing the disease in animals through 

 the inoculation of them with the secretions from the 

 wounds of individuals affected with the disease. In 

 1889 Kitasato obtained the bacillus of tetanus in pure 

 culture, and described his method of obtaining it and 

 its biological peculiarities as follows : 



Method of obtaining it. Inoculate several mice sub- 

 cutaneously with the secretions from the wound of a 

 case of typical tetanus. This material usually contains 

 not only tetanus bacilli, but other organisms as well, 

 so that at autopsy, if tetanus results, there may be 

 more or less of suppuration at the seat of inoculation 

 in the mice. In order to separate the tetanus bacillus 

 from the others that are present, the pus is smeared 

 upon the surface of several slanted blood-serum or 

 agar-agar tubes and placed at 37° to 38° C. After 

 twenty-four hours all the organisms will have devel- 

 oped and microscopic examination will usually reveal 

 the presence of a few tetanus bacilli, recognizable by their 

 shape, viz., that of a small pin, with a spore serving 

 as the head. After, forty-eight hours at 38° C. the 

 culture is subjected to a temperature of 80° C. in a water- 

 bath for from three-quarters to one hour. At the end 



