SPIROCHMTIC DYSENTERY 



1839 



zeylanicum, in the Philippine Journal of Science, vol. v., No. 2, Section B, 

 ' Medical Sciences,' July, 1910. 



The generic classification of this germ is most difficult, as it is extremely 

 polymorphic, the same preparation showing bacillary, vibrionic, undulating 

 forms. 



At times coccus-like and also fairly large spherical bodies are seen and 

 claviform swellings, and Castellani has recently created a new genus for it, 

 vibriothrix, the name of the organism becoming, therefore, Vibriothrix zeylanica 

 Castellani, 1910. This germ is found also in Europe, as recently shown by 

 Castellani, Spagnuolo and Russo, by Taylor, Ghiron, and by Douglas. 



Morphology. — The best way to see the characteristics of the germ is to 

 make a preparation from the water of condensation of a glucose agar tube 

 inoculated with it. In the same preparation forms so different in shape 

 may be met with, that one might think one had to deal with two or more 

 organisms living in symbiosis, but by plating and replating one never succeeds 

 in separating the various forms. Long undulating forms may be present 20 

 to 40 microns in length, and also numerous short vibrio-like and bacillary 



(Vibrio-like forms from a culture.) (Forms from the pellicle in a culture.) 



forms, and in preparations from the pellicle which forms in certain media, 

 curved filaments may be found with claviform swellings, and also globular 

 small bodies. 



The germ is easily stained by the usual aniline dyes. It is Gram-negative. 

 Motility. — The germ is motile. 



Cultural and Biochemical Characters. — On MacConkey, Endo, and Drigalski- 

 Conradi plates the colonies are similar to those of the germs of the typhoid 

 dysentery group, the organism being a non-lactose fermenter. The micro- 

 organism grows well on all the usual laboratory media, in the water of condensa- 

 tion of glucose agar tubes producing a rather characteristic pellicle. It often 

 produces a pellicle also in broth and several sugar media. It produces neither 

 acidity nor gas in any of the usual carbohydrates — lactose, glucose, levulose, 

 galactose, saccharose, dulcite, mannite, maltose, dextrin, raffinose, arabinose, 

 adonite, inulin; on the contrary, there is often production of alkalinity. 



Most strains are non-pathogenic to rabbits and guinea-pigs when inoculated 

 subcutaneously, but there are exceptions. 



Fig. 764.- — -Vibriothrix zeylanica 

 (Castellani, 1910). 



Fig. 765. — Vibriothrix zeylanica 

 (Castellani, 1910). 



