252 THE UNIVERSITY SCIENCE BULLETIN. 



and the suffering entailed. Four of the eight severe cases of ton- 

 silhtis were given 10,000 units of antitoxin and made a rapid re- 

 covery. Of the other four cases, two cleared up in time though not 

 nearly so quickly, and two developed ear infections and responded 

 to vaccine treatment. All were suspected diphtheria cases. It 

 might be said, in the first place, that the number of cases is too 

 few for the results to be of value; second, that in the four cases 

 receiving antitoxin, they would have made a quick recovery any- 

 way; third, that in these four there were foci of infection with 

 B. diphtheria in the trachae (nose and throat examinations were 

 made) ; fourth, that the diphtheria antitoxin was beneficial be- 

 cause of a relationship between the diphtheria group and this 

 group (these organisms were not toxin producers in vitro) ; fifth, the 

 benefit resulted from nonspecific protein therapy as emphasized 

 by Muller, Weichardt, Miller and others for many infections. If 

 the marked improvement resulted from the injection of the anti- 

 toxin, I would rather incline to the last explanation, perhaps, until 

 a more definite relationship is proven between B. diphtheria and 

 the streptococci than I have found. It is, however, true that 

 Denny, Corbett and others have described strains of B. diphtheria 

 that they call streptococcal forms, and the pleomorphic nature of 

 B. diphtheria is well known. From the standpoint of morphology 

 B. diphtheria has been frequently reported as showing involution 

 forms similar to these pleomorphic streptococci. G. S. Graham- 

 Smith^'^ describes the involution forms of B. diphtheria as follows : 

 "After prolonged growth on a suitable medium, or more quickly 

 on an unsuitable medium, diphtheria bacilli become considerably 

 altered in shape. Their appearance becomes more irregular and 

 very large forms are frequently encountered. Many become greatly 

 swollen at the ends and develop enormous club-shaped masses 

 which stain deeply, while the rest of the bacillus may stain badly 

 or have irregular patches of deeply stained protoplasm in it. 

 Others become pear-shaped or globular, while some retain their 

 general shape but become thicker throughout. Others again show 

 large globules at their ends, while the rest of the rod appears as a 

 faintly stained line. Specimens which take up the stain very 

 badly are common. Some bacilli may be represented by small 

 round masses like cocci, or by a chain of such masses, when they 

 look like streptococci. In fact, under such conditions every variety 

 of shape and form and staining capacity may be met with." The 

 cultural characteristics of B. diphtheria are well known. It is 

 generally considered that the organism ferments dextrose but not 



