president's address. 41 



be unknown. The first resembled the typhoid bacillus ; the 

 second variety formed snow-white colonies on the surface of 

 the gelatin, which was liquefied ; the third kind grew best in 

 agar, at incubation low temperatures, and in twenty-four 

 hours appeared as colourless drops. 



Besides these he was able to isolate Staphylococcus pyogenes 

 aureus, also alhus, and citreus, Diplococcus pneumoiiice, Strepto- 

 coccus pyoge?ies, Staphylococcus cereus, also albus and Jlavus, all 

 of which were found in the secretions of the same group of 

 cases. 



Dr. Marmerek examined the bronchial secretion of eight 

 well-marked influenza cases,* and in seven of these found 

 abundance of organisms which could only be considered Diplo- 

 coccus pneumoni(T,. In six cases there developed on agar plates, 

 colonies about the size of poppy seeds, of irregular shape, of 

 great firmness, of a blackish brown colour, and with indented 

 outline. These cocci formed chains of from two to forty 

 individuals. 



Herr Bein examined twenty cases of influenza,t ^'^^ found 

 Diplococci, Streptococci, and Staphylococci in every instance. His 

 conclusion is one of some importance, for, first, he does not 

 regard the diplococcus, which he invariably found as being 

 strictly Diplococcus pneumonice ; and, second, he concludes that 

 the disease is due to the co-operation of several different kinds 

 of micro-organism, no specific microbe being, in his judgment, 

 discoverable. 



In the same manner Sig. S. Sirena,J in numerous similar 

 examinations, found what appeared to be Diplococcus pneumonice, 

 together with numerous other micro-organisms, and infers that 

 there is no specific contagium discoverable. 



Dr. Bouchard,§ after careful examination, found in the 

 influenza cases he investigated three pathogenic microbes, 

 accompanying every case, and pertinently remarks that two of 

 these " are too many, if we go for a specific virus of influenza." 



* " Wiener Klin. Wochenschr.," 1890, Nos. 8 and 9. Vide " Centralbl. f . 

 Bakteriol. u. Parasiteuk.," vii. (1890), pp. 509-10. 



t " Zeitschr. f. Klin. Medicin./' xvii. (1890), No. 6. Vide " Centralbl. f. 

 Bakteriol. u, Parasiteuk.," ix. (1891), pp. 171-2. 



X "La Eeforma Med.," vi. (1890), p. 680. Vide "Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. 

 u. Parasiteuk.," ix. (1891), pp. 174-5. 



§ La Semaine Med.,^ 1890, No. 5. Vide " Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. 

 Parasiteuk.," vii. (1890), pp. 375-6. 



