672 MICROBIOLOGY OF DISEASES OF MAN AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



seemingly intact male urethra but not the vagina of the female on 

 account of the bactericidal secretion and the character of its squamous 

 epithelium. Other bacteria, as for example, the Strept. pyogenes, M. 

 pyogenes var. aureus and B. coli are sometimes found infecting the 

 genital tract in cases of chronic urethritis. 



The kidneys, ureters and bladder are sometimes infected but usually 

 the infecting agent is carried in the circulation although it occasionally 

 ascends through the urethra from without. 



In conclusion, the proposition of germinal and antenatal infection 

 must be mentioned. By true germinal infection is meant the carrying 

 of the infectious organisms of a disease by the ovum or the spermatozoa 

 and its incorporation in the development of the embryo and fetus. 

 It is doubtful if this ever occurs. Some authorities claim that it is 

 possible and that it has been demonstrated that the spermatozoa may 

 carry the Treponema pallidum of syphilis, but this is not generally 

 accepted. Antenatal infection or infection of the fetus before birth 

 does occur. Infectious organisms enter the fetus only as a result of 

 intimate contact with the mother and it has been repeatedly shown 

 that tuberculosis and syphilis may be acquired in this way. It is 

 essential, however, that the mother be infected and in most instances 

 this infection is localized in the placenta. Smallpox, scarlet fever, 

 measles, dysentery, various pyogenic infections, and in rare instances 

 pneumonia, have also been acquired by placental infection. In rare 

 cases in animals, anthrax, symptomatic anthrax, chicken cholera, and 

 glanders have been acquired by antenatal infection from the mother. 



VARIATION IN INFECTION 



It should be noted that there may be a variation in the infection 

 depending upon the route by which the infectious microorganism enters 

 the body. For example, in the case of Bact. tuberculosis, if the bacterium 

 enters the skin a usually non-fatal infection called lupus vulgaris 

 results; if it enters the lymph glands or joints and localizes there an 

 inflammation of not necessarily a fatal character results; if it enters 

 the lungs pulmonary tuberculosis or consumption occurs which usu- 

 ally, after being well established, runs a fatal course; if it enters the 

 intestine, intestinal tuberculosis may result which is nearly always 

 fatal; and if it enters the meninges, tubercular meningitis results which 



