Bacteriology of Infectious Gaseous Gangrene. 31 



themselves of the processes which tend to produce an immunity 

 and in causing the death of tissue thus preparing a favorable media 

 for the multiplication of the anaerobes. They have never been 

 isolated in pure culture from a case of infectious gaseous gangrene 

 and have never produced typical lesions when inoculated into 

 animals. 



There are a number of anaerobes which cause characteristic 

 lesion in animal inoculations and one or more of which are always 

 isolated from cases of gaseous gangrene. In the following arrange- 

 ment the organisms that are found in cases of gaseous gangrene 

 are grouped with regard to their importance as causal agents of 

 infectious gaseous gangrene; and there is in addition an indication 

 of their main action toward the carbohydrates and proteids. 



Group I. 



Essential Causal Agents of Gaseous Gangrene. 

 Saccharoly tic : 



1. Vibrion septiqiie. 



2. B. cedematiens (B. Novyii). 



3. B. welchii. 

 Proteolytic : 



B. histolyticus . 



Group II. 



Accessory Agents of Gaseous Gangrene. 



Comprises organisms capable of causing gaseous phlegmons 

 (even of a severe type). Probably rarely or never an essential 

 agent of gaseous gangrene. Important in association with the 

 essential causal agents and generally unimportant when occurring 

 alone. 



I. Anaerobes: 



A . Proteolytic group : 



B. sporo genes. 

 B. aerofcetidus. 



B. Saccharolytic group: 



B.fallax. 



II. Aerobes: 



B. coli. 



